Through the World Door
by Leo Septem
Summary: Hiraga Saito, the Gandalfr, has finally returned to his homeworld of Earth after a year of trials, suffering, and enslavement in the land of magic and monsters, Halkeginia. But even on Earth, he is not safe from the supernatural. And even on Earth, he may just find himself bound by the chains of servitude once more...
1. Through the World Door

**Chapter 1**

"Mom," Saito whispered hoarsely.

In front of him, a mirror-like gate hovered an inch above the stone floor. It was circular and it shined along its edges with a bright white light. Displayed on its glassy surface, showing him a scene from across worlds, was his mother. She was preparing a meal in the kitchen like he had seen her do hundreds, thousands of times before. But she was different now. Her normally neat and tidy appearance was disheveled and careless, almost even messy. Her actions were mechanical, automatic, as she simply worked with a blank, expressionless gaze. It was as if she was a robot merely carrying out its function soullessly. Her features were much wearier as well. She looked completely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Saito choked as tears began falling freely from his eyes. Of course his mother would look so tired and sad. Her only son had been gone from Earth, from his family, for an entire year without a single trace of his whereabouts. She must have missed him so much that it wore away at her very soul. His father, too. Saito had little doubt that they must have spent every day searching for him the best they could, but to no avail. After all, no matter where they searched, it was impossible for them to find him.

He was in another world. He was in Halkeginia, summoned by Louise Valliere to be her familiar – to become the Gandalfr. And there was nothing his parents could have done to reach across that unfathomable distance.

Memories flooded Saito. The simple memories of eating his mother's delicious food every day. The memories of being punished for breaking the neighbor's window by mistake. The memories of being praised when he brought back a test he did well on at school. All of the memories returned to Saito like a tidal wave, overwhelming him with feelings.

And Saito remembered that he missed them. He missed them so much it physically hurt.

"Gandalfr," Pope Vittorio said from nearby, his wand raised to maintain the gate with his spell. "Please hurry and make your decision. I cannot keep the World Door open for much longer."

_Decision? _Saito thought vaguely. Yes, he needed to make a decision right now: either stay in Halkeginia or return home to his family.

It was not a hard choice to make.

"Mom," Saito repeated in a quiet, tearful voice. He took a step forward closer to the gate, his hand reached out towards the image of his mother. "Mom. Mom!"

Saito cried joyfully as he stepped forward slowly. Finally. Finally, he could return home. This was what he had been waiting for ever since he arrived in this strange and foreign world. This... Finally, this.

He could finally return home.

When Saito's fingers were mere inches away from the gate, Derflinger shouted out in alarm from Saito's back, where it was strapped in its sheath. "Partner! Dodge!"

Saito's eyes widened as he instinctively obeyed Derflinger's warning and twisted away to the side. But he was not quick enough. There was a loud bang as pain blossomed in Saito's shoulder.

"Agh!" Saito cried out as he clutched his shoulder, a bleeding hole now in it, and turned around to face his attacker.

Through the haze of pain, Saito saw that Julio had his gun aimed at Saito from a few feet away. It was only thanks to Derflinger's warning that Saito was able to avoid being instantly killed by a shot to the head. And it was then that Saito realized it: neither Julio nor Pope Vittorio had ever intended to allow him to return home, not while he was alive at least.

Pure, raw fury and murderous rage welled up from within Saito. These two were trying to deny him the one thing he wanted for their own selfish reasons. Whatever those reasons were, Saito did not care. He had done more than enough for Halkeginia, and he wanted to go home. He wanted to see his family again. If he needed to kill Julio in order to do so, then that was simply too bad.

"You bastards!" Saito snarled as he reached for Derflinger's handle.

But before he could even touch the sentient sword, Julio shot twice more. This time, Saito felt hot lead pierce his chest, and he coughed up blood as he struggled to remain standing.

"Sorry, brother," Julio said with a smile. "No, I suppose you're not my brother, after all? Sorry, Saito. We need a Gandalfr, but not one who abandons his duty. Be at peace, though. You can at least die in your homeworld."

"JULIO!" Saito roared, fueled by the last of his strength and pure, unadulterated anger. Saito gripped Derflinger and unsheathed the sword, preparing to rush forward and cut down the murderous son-of-a-bitch.

Julio shot his gun again, and the bullet hit Saito squarely in his chest. Already unsteady on his feet, Saito stumbled backwards towards the World Door and fell. As he tumbled through the gate, his vision going black, the last thing Saito saw was the unapologetic shrug of the Windalfr.

**-Scene Break-**

Raynare couldn't help but tilt her head as she tried to figure out what it was that she was looking at.

At the end of an empty alleyway, a shining mirror was floating in midair. Curious, Raynare approached it in order to better study it. It was clearly magic. That much was obvious just from looking at the thing. Yet, its feel and substance was unlike that of any type of magic that Raynare knew of. Indeed, it was a magic that Raynare had never seen before.

_Very, very strange, _Raynare thought as she studied the thing more carefully.

It appeared to be somewhat similar to that of teleportation circles, in effect if not in methodology. Raynare frowned for a moment. If that was the case, then to where was this gate connected to? More importantly, why? Who was trying to come through it?

As Raynare pondered this strange portal, it flashed with a blinding light, causing her to squint and bring up an arm in order to shield her eyes. The light faded a moment after, and the gate disappeared along with it. In its place was a young Japanese boy who was lying on the ground on his back, breathing weakly, his consciousness already gone.

He was dying, Raynare realized. Ostensibly from the numerous bullet wounds that riddled his body. Even now, blood was soaking through his blue jacket, zipped all the way up to cover his neck, dyeing the entire front of his torso a crimson red. In one hand, he was clutching a long sword – single-edged and slightly curved in a style reminiscent to that of a Japanese katana, though its edge was a little straighter and its blade a bit larger than a true katana. Strangely, there were runes imprinted on the back of his left hand, and they were glowing brightly, though they were slowly beginning to dim with every passing second as his own lifeblood ebbed away.

Raynare appraised the boy carefully. Normally, she would have simply ignored the boy, or at most given him a quick death. But given the strange circumstances through which the boy had appeared, Raynare found herself filled with curiosity.

He was a mere human, but there was nothing mere about the way he had arrived. What was that magic? Who was this boy? From where did he come from? Raynare frowned as she considered these unanswered questions.

_Well,_ Raynare thought, rubbing her chin as she finally came to a decision. _I suppose there's no harm in at least seeing if he is of any use._

Raynare went over to the boy's side and carefully picked him up in her arms. She wrapped her jet black wings around both of them. Space distorted. A moment later, they vanished.

**-Scene Break-**

When Saito awoke, it was to a warm sensation covering his body. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open and looked around.

He was lying down on an old bed in a room dimly lit by a single oil lamp. Derflinger, still resting inside its sheath, was leaning against the bedpost. Sitting on a wooden chair at his bedside was a young girl, blonde and cute, who was holding her hands over his body and with her eyes closed. From her hands, an emerald colored light, the source of the warmth on his body, was shining brightly. Like a fluid, the light cascaded down to his body and infused themselves into his flesh and wounds. To Saito's surprise, the numerous bullet wounds on his body were slowly closing and disappearing without a trace, and with each passing second, Saito could feel his body recovering in strength.

_Healing magic?_ Saito wondered. He closed his eyes again and tried to sort out what was going on.

The last thing he remembered was being betrayed and shot by Julio before falling through the World Door nearly dead.

_Julio,_ Saito thought angrily as he continued to be healed. _That villainous piece of shit._

He had been wrong about Julio. He had thought that, despite being an arrogant and all around unlikeable guy, Julio had not been a truly bad person at heart. He had underestimated the other familiar's fanaticism, it seemed. In retrospect, it was a foolish underestimation. He had known that Julio's and the Pope's ultimate goal was to retake the Holy Lands from the elves, and that they would allow nothing to stand in their way. He had also known that for that to happen, they would need all four Void mages, as well as all four of the Void familiars.

He had been blind, Saito realized bitterly. When faced with the scene of his mother, of his homeland, he had been so overwhelmed with emotions that he had failed to remember one critical truth: the familiar's runes only disappeared on death. And since Romalia needed a Gandalfr for their upcoming crusade, the only possible course of action for them would be to kill him if he tried to return to Earth so that they could summon a new Gandalfr.

_But what happened after that?_ Saito thought. He had definitely fallen into the World Door, so he should be back on Earth. However, the girl who was healing him right now was clearly doing so through the use of magic, and magic did not exist on Earth. So was he still in Halkeginia?

Saito frowned. This girl was not using a wand or a staff in order to use her magic, which was necessary in order to do so, at least for Halkeginians. Elves, Saito remembered, could use magic without such mediums. But Saito could see that this girl was a human because of her ears. So how, then, was she using magic?

Saito groaned internally as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

Taking a deep breath, Saito started over: He definitely remembered falling through the World Door before passing out. Ordinarily that would mean that he was back on Earth. However, the fact that this girl was using magic, even if it was not one that he recognized, meant that it was impossible that he was in his homeworld. Then, the World Door must have failed, or Vittorio must have sent him elsewhere. Either way, he was not on Earth.

Turning his head towards the girl, Saito said in a soft voice, as if unsure whether or not he should be interrupting the girl while she healed him, "Excuse me. Can I ask you something?"

When the blonde girl didn't answer, Saito sighed and looked back up to the ceiling.

"Asia is too busy concentrating on healing you to answer your questions, but I'll answer them if you answer mine as well."

Saito turned his head to the source of the noise. Leaning casually and hitherto unnoticed against the furthest wall was a woman. She approached, and when Saito looked at her, he instantly blushed. With her long black hair, slender, supple figure, and gorgeous face, she was an incredible beauty, that much was absolutely certain. However, it was because of her choice of clothes that Saito's eyes remained transfixed on her. The woman was dressed in such a provocative manner that Saito found himself unsure of where to rest his eyes.

She was dressed in an outfit that looked more like an extremely bare lingerie, one that made even the seductive nightclothes of Kirche von Zerbst look modest, even prudish. The black cloth were used in extremely narrow strips and only barely covered her most critical areas – i.e. her nipples and genitalia – as well as a few additional straps of cloth necessary to keep those cloth in place. On her long, lithe legs were high-heeled black leather boots that reached up to her mid-thighs. On her slender arms were a pair of black leather gloves that reached up to her mid-biceps. Finishing off her ensemble was a pair of armor-like epaulettes, the right one being slightly larger than the left and adorned with three steel spikes.

"Okay," Saito agreed readily. "First of all, who are you?"

"My name is Raynare," the woman answered. "And you?"

"I'm Hiraga Saito," Saito replied. "Where am I?" Saito paused for a moment, before adding, "Er, I mean that on a country level, by the way."

Raynare arched an eyebrow at the strange question, but answered nonetheless. "You are in Japan."

At that, Saito frowned deeply and with consternation. He was back on Earth? But this person was using magic, which was nonexistent, a myth, on Earth. Wait, Saito thought, then did that mean that magic really existed in his world? Impossible.

"Um... Raynare-sama," the blonde girl suddenly said as the green light faded from her hands and she turned to look at the black-haired woman. "I have completed healing him."

"Good work, Asia," Raynare said. "You may leave."

"Yes, Raynare-sama," Asia said. She glanced at Saito and gave a quick nod in greeting before excusing herself and leaving the room.

Once the blonde girl was gone, Saito sat up as Raynare sat down on the now vacated chair. She crossed her legs in a single flowing and graceful gesture. Saito couldn't help but stare as she did so.

"You look as though you don't believe me," Raynare commented, causing Saito to look back up at Raynare's face. The amused smile on her lips and the direct stare of her violet-colored eyes told Saito that, yes, she knew exactly what he had been staring at. "That, and you look as though you're distracted by something else."

"Er, sorry," Saito blushed a bright red guiltily. "It's just... that thing that other girl, Asia, did... That was magic, wasn't it? But magic doesn't exist on Earth."

"Mmm... Well, to put it bluntly, you're wrong on two counts," Raynare said, causing Saito's eyebrows to lift up. "What Asia did was not magic, per se. However, magic does exist."

"But magic is just a myth," Saito protested. He paused, feeling extremely strange for being the one to say that magic didn't exist when he himself knew more than others that yes it did.

Raynare's smile spread a little further. "Nearly all myths are true, even if most humans don't believe in them anymore."

As if to demonstrate, feathered wings as black as night suddenly unfurled from Raynare's back, startling Saito and causing him to flinch.

"What are you?" Saito blurted out as soon as he recovered from the shock.

"I," Raynare said, "am an angel."

Saito blinked. "Wait, so things like gods and monsters and stuff really exist, then?"

"Of course," Raynare said easily.

Slowly, Saito looked down as he brought one hand up to his temple and rubbed it. He sighed tiredly. "You know, this isn't the weirdest thing that's happened to me, so I can accept that." Saito looked back up at Raynare and at her jet-black wings. "But I thought angels were supposed to have pure white wings."

Raynare shrugged as she retracted the wings back into her body. "Not all myths are completely accurate. There are angels with black wings. It's nothing, though. It's merely like the difference in skin color in humans; a superficial difference."

Saito frowned. "I see." Saito took a quick glance at Raynare's body. "And, uh, do all angels dress like you, too?"

Raynare rolled her eyes. "What, did you think that all angels wear the same pure white robes or togas?"

"Well... Kinda. Yeah, actually."

"Hmph. Humans and their stereotypes," Raynare said, though she sounded amused. "No, Saito. Not all angels wear robes and togas. In the first place, it's only because humans ate the forbidden fruit that they have such a strange sense of shame over their own selves. I, as well as many of my brothers and sisters, on the other hand, have never once been ashamed of our bodies."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed," Raynare said. "Now, my turn to ask a question. When I found you, you were nearly dead. I know from your wounds that you were shot. However, what I'm curious about is the fact that you were deposited into an alleyway by some strange portal, the likes of which I have never before seen. What was it? And what happened to you on the other side of that portal? Where are you from?"

Saito grimaced at the question. His memories of Halkeginia were not things he was fond of. True, there had been good times, and he had friends there, but even so, Saito could not bring himself to like what he had gone through in that other world.

It had been harsh and dehumanizing. Without his consent, he had been forced into a less-than-human position, a familiar, by a girl who had done things to him that would be considered torture anywhere else. Worse still, because of his runes, he had been compelled into accepting such cruel treatment with barely a single rebellion. He had been whipped, fitted with collars that would electrocute him on command, forced to behave as a dog at times and barred from using human language, and much, much more. It was only because he was not considered a person but rather a mere familiar that Louise had been allowed to do such things. Indeed, it was because he was her familiar that she had felt it was her _right _to do such things. And it was because of those runes that Saito hadn't, no, _couldn't_ hate her for it. Quite the opposite: those runes had made him fall in love with her.

Thus, when the runes' effects on his minds had finally been erased by Tiffania, he had been furious. How could he not be? To be forced to fall in love with his kidnapper and tormentor like some sort of sick, mystical Stockholm Syndrome at the cost of further being forced to forget all of his desire to return home, to his family, to where he truly belonged, was cruel and evil beyond measure. It was only thanks to the fact that Louise had managed to mellow greatly during their time together and that she had been the one to arrange Tiffania to wipe out the runes' compulsions that Saito did not completely hate the short, pink-haired girl. However, they could no longer be called anything as remotely close as friends. Not after what she had done. Not after what he had been forced to go through. After all of that, Saito could no longer trust her.

Although, Saito thought, it was highly probable that even that lack of hatred was due to some vestigial remnants of the familiar's runes' compulsory effects that had managed to remain even after Tiffania's mind wipe spell.

Furthermore, in his time in Halkeginia, he had been used and manipulated so much that Saito felt as though in the eyes of most Halkeginians, he was merely an extremely useful tool. Vittorio and Julio were the most flagrant offenders, but even someone as kind and gentle as Princess Henrietta was guilty of doing so.

Saito did not hate Henrietta. He did not even dislike her. However, it was an undeniable truth that she had used both him and Louise for herself and her country. Saito did not blame her for this. Henrietta was first and foremost the ruler of Tristain, and her obligation was to her country. To use whatever she could to benefit her country was a matter of course.

Still, he could not simply accept it. While that wasn't necessarily wrong for Henrietta to use Louise since she was a Tristanian, Saito was a foreigner. He had no real reason to be a part of Tristain's problems outside of how it affected him personally. Yet, despite that, and thanks in large part due to the runes forcing him to abide by Louise's will, he had been pulled into Henrietta's plots and maneuverings, and had ended up dying in a war, alone and against an army, because of it. Then, even though she was clearly being manipulated by Vittorio, Henrietta had attempted to bring Saito into another war. This time against the elves – a people with whom he had no real qualms with, aside from Bidashal who had allied with that insane King Joseph and had attempted to block Saito and his comrades from rescuing one of their friends. Worse still, what they, the Romalians, wanted to start was a crusade; a war of ideology. An ideology that Saito did not believe in.

Even now, the arguments they had attempted to use to convince Saito to join their cause made him laugh. The thought that the elves would willingly give up their homes without receiving anything in return purely because the humans possessed the power of the Void mages was stupid to a point that went beyond naive – it had been insane. And the argument that the humans were constantly warring with each other in Halkeginia was because they did not have control of the Holy Lands was stupid. Earth's history disproved that argument over and over and over again.

After all, humans fight because it is in human nature to do so.

When people with different values and beliefs meet, it was natural for conflict to arise from that friction. True, having a common enemy and goal would unify the people for a time, but what about after? This was something that Saito was not able to make Vittorio and Henrietta understand, no matter how hard he tried. If they somehow did manage to capture the Holy Lands, then conflict would eventually arise once more. It would merely be old reasons in a new setting. But they were so certain, so absolutely positive that getting to the Holy Land would be the end-all solution, that they would not even consider the validity of Saito's arguments.

In light of all that, Vittorio and Julio's betrayal at the eleventh hour almost seemed an appropriate last memory of Halkeginia – a land of war, lies, and manipulation.

"Saito?" Raynare said when he had been silent for a little too long. "Is something wrong?"

Saito glanced up at Raynare.

He did not want to share the story of his past year with Raynare. He did not want to share it with anyone. There were simply too many bitter memories attached to it that made even recalling it painful. However, this person – this angel – had saved his life. For that, he owed her a great deal. Though he did not wish to, the least he could do was answer her questions, even if he kept it as an abridged version.

Saito sighed before resigning himself to explaining. "The portal you saw was the World Door, and it connected this world to Halkeginia. It was the gate to another world."

**-Scene Break-**

Flabbergasted.

That was the only word Raynare could come up with that could come even close to describing how she felt after listening to Saito's story. She had been prepared to be told about something along the lines of some hidden and ancient type of magic that she had never heard about, but this... Assuming that everything Saito had told her was true, then this was far beyond incredible. This was groundbreaking!

Here before her was a boy who had been taken to another world, and then come back from it.

It had long been suspected amongst the intellectuals of the various religious and mythological factions that there existed other worlds – or rather, other dimensions – in the far corners of the Dimensional Gap, in places where no one in this dimension was capable of reaching. But the reason why it was impossible to traverse into other dimensions was not solely because of some unique trait of the Gap. Rather, it was because it was occupied and guarded by the strongest being in existence: Great Red.

However, what Saito was telling her was that there existed magic on the other side, in that world of Halkeginia, that was able to bridge that unfathomably large distance between the two worlds at will. Not only that, but there had also been humans and human weapons that had also been transported to that other world, and have been doing so for a long time, at least by human standards.

How was this possible? Did this "Void magic" somehow allow a connection that could pass unnoticed by Great Red? Or did it use some means besides that of the Dimensional Gap to make the connection? A method to completely bypass the Dimensional Gap? Was that even possible? Most importantly, could that connection be somehow reverse-engineered in order to open it from this side? Even though Raynare was not a scientist by any stretch of the word, she could not help but ask such questions.

Raynare viciously repressed a gleeful smile that threatened to spread over her lips.

This was it. This was how Hiraga Saito could be useful to her. She would present him as a gift and experiment subject to Lord Azazel, who would no doubt be pleased with such a present. After all, Azazel was one of the preeminent scientists amongst all the different factions in the world. Even if his chosen field of study was that of the Sacred Gears, it was impossible that he would not be highly interested in Saito and his connection to the other world. Especially when he had a proof of the other world's magic imprinted on his left hand: the runes of what Saito called the "Gandalfr." Somehow, defying all common sense, those runes gave Saito the ability to use any and all weapons, even ones he had never seen before. Azazel would no doubt be very eager to dissect how the runes granted such an ability, which sounded almost like a Sacred Gear from another world.

Yes, Raynare thought, once she had taken Asia's Twilight Healing for herself and presented Lord Azazel with Hiraga Saito, her own status would no doubt be highly elevated in Lord Azazel's eyes. Just thinking about being able to make Lord Azazel so happy with her was enough to nearly throw Raynare into a giggling fit, and it took her nearly a minute to sufficiently calm herself down.

"I'm at a loss for words," Raynare finally said in a slow, deliberate manner. "All I can say is that that is an amazing story."

"I guess so," Saito agreed with a careless shrug.

"So then, what will you do from hereon?" Raynare asked casually.

"I'm going to go home and let my family know I'm all right," Saito said promptly. "I'm sure they've been worried sick about me."

Raynare pursed her lips and frowned ever so slightly.

Saito going home? That was something Raynare could not allow, mostly for the sake of convenience. If he did go home and let others close to him know that he was back, then there would be that much more work involved in having to go around and erasing their memories once she handed Saito over to Lord Azazel.

"That... is not the best of ideas," Raynare said with a false hesitancy.

Saito cocked his head and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You see, this entire city is under the control of the devils," Raynare explained. "As such, there is very little that goes on in this city, their territory, that they are not aware of. By now, they must have already learned that you were rescued by me. In other words, you are, in their eyes, now a part of the faction of angels. If you go to your family while under their scrutiny, there is no doubt that they will target your family and use them against you. They could be kidnapped, tortured, and horribly murdered just because of their close relations to you."

Saito visibly tensed and his expression turned cold and hard. "Is that so?" he said in a chillingly calm voice. "Then, what am I supposed to do? Go out and kill every devil I can find?"

Raynare shook her head, inwardly pleased that Saito bought the lies so easily. "That would take far too long and would eventually garner far too much attention. No, there is a better way."

"And what's that?" Saito asked.

"A ritual that I and my comrades have been preparing," Raynare said. "It should be ready by tomorrow night. When it is complete, it will give us the ability to destroy the devil's hold on this city in one fell swoop."

"Really?" Saito said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "If that's the case, then I can go home after that's done, right?"

"Yes," Raynare nodded. "Until then, for your safety as well as your family's, I ask that you stay here under my supervision."

Saito nodded. "All right. I can do that."

Raynare smiled. "I know that this must be hard on you, Saito," Raynare said genially, "and I'm sorry I have to ask you to be patient a little longer."

"It's okay," Saito said. "I've waited an entire year to return home. Another day or two is no big deal."

"That is an excellent attitude to have. Thank you for your understanding," Raynare said sweetly as she stood up to leave. "Please don't worry too much, Saito. After tomorrow, you can go to the place where you belong."

**-Scene Break-**

It was later in the night that Saito found himself unable to fall asleep. Instead, he simply rolled about restlessly in his bed. There was too many things to think about for him to even consider sleeping, such as the fact that gods and angels and devils exist on Earth, and that he would be able to see his family in just a few days. The excitement from that latter fact made him feel almost giddy.

Just as well. He did not really like sleeping overmuch these days.

"Hey, Derf," Saito said.

"What is it, Partner?" the sentient sword's metallic voice called back, yawning sleepily as it did so.

Saito did not even bother asking if the sword, sentient or not, truly needed to sleep or if it just pretended to. Saito had long since gotten used to Derflinger's little peculiarities and had come not to question them.

"The Pope and Julio tried to kill me because I was about to return to Earth, and if I did, they would not be able to get another Gandalfr, right?"

"Pretty much," Derflinger replied, the quillon moving as though it was its mouth. "The power of the Gandalfr is almost as vital to them as the Void is."

Saito grinned wolfishly. "Then, the fact that I'm here on Earth and still alive means that they'll be unable to summon another Gandalfr until the day I die."

"That's true too," Derflinger agreed slowly. "What's the point you're trying to make, though?"

"Nothing. It's just that I'm glad that their plans have gone awry," Saito said vindictively. "I almost wish that I could see the look on their faces when they find out that they can't summon another Gandalfr. Take _that_ Julio and Vittorio, you assholes."

Derflinger snorted, which ended up coming out as a harsh, grating sound. "Whatever makes you happy, Partner."

"Still," Saito pursed his lips. "I wonder if Louise and the others are doing all right?"

"Wait, what?" Derflinger said in a surprised tone. "Wasn't that big boobed elf girl's spell supposed to have stopped the runes from making you love that little brat?"

Saito shook his head. "It did. I don't love Louise anymore, and the runes have no control over my mind, as far as I can tell anyway. But you know, I guess if I had to choose between whether I hate her or not, I would choose the latter. So I am a little concerned."

"Is that so?" Derflinger said. "You know, if I were you, I don't think I would be able to even stand being around that little girl. I mean, that she did brainwash you."

"True," Saito conceded, and here his voice turned dark and bitter. "And that's something that I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive, even if she did not do it intentionally."

"So why bother worrying about her?" Derflinger asked curiously.

"Because it's not just about her," Saito answered. "Disregarding Louise, I am also worried about Tiffania, Siesta, Tabitha, Kirche, Mister Colbert, and a lot of other people. Even Guiche, for that matter."

"I see," Derflinger mused. "Well, to answer your question, then, all I can say is that I don't know. Myoznitnirn is a very dangerous person to face."

Saito grimaced and nodded in agreement. "That's for sure. But since Louise and Vittorio are both Void mages, they should have the advantage, right? They even have another Void familiar with them."

Derflinger grunted. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't remember what the fourth familiar is, so this might not be true, but the Myoznitnirn is the strongest familiar."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Derflinger confirmed. "Look, to the tell you the truth, Partner, as the Gandalfr, you're a lot stronger and faster than ordinary humans, but that doesn't change the fact that all you can do is fight like a much better non-magical human. As for the Windalfr, all he can do is control some animals. So unless he manages to find and control an army of elder dragons, which are nearly extinct, he's not much use in a fight. But the Myoznitnirn? The ability to use any and all magical items is huge. There are tons of magical items in Halkeginia that can do really scary stuff. Depending on the tools they use, a Myoznitnirn could face off against an army like the one you fought in Albion by him or herself and still win. Easily. Hell, a Myoznitnirn could probably topple an entire country alone. That's why the Myoznitnirn is ordinarily the strongest."

"Ordinarily?" Saito said, locking onto that key word.

"Partner," Derflinger said seriously. "I'm not gonna lie: after seeing some of the weapons that come from your world, it's more than enough to make me feel pretty damn inadequate. It's like you guys specifically designed and improved your weapons in order to fight against real monsters."

"Well, in a way, you're not wrong," Saito said with an amused smile.

"With your world's weapons," Derflinger continued, "the Gandalfr is probably the only one that can beat the Myoznitnirn. But without you to use those weapons on their behalf, that girl and the others are definitely in for a lot of trouble."

"That's... bad," Saito frowned.

"Still," Derflinger said nonchalantly. "The problems of Halkeginia is for the Halkeginians to deal with. It's not exactly something that you, an Earthling, needs to worry about anymore, especially since it was Halkeginians that tried to kill you and tossed you out of that world. You've done enough. I'm sure that they'll find a way to pull through without you."

"I guess so," Saito agreed halfheartedly. He sighed. "Well, good night, Derf."

"Night, Partner."

Saito closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as he tried to drift off into slumber. However, just then there was a series of loud banging on his door, causing Saito's eyes to snap back open.

"Bah. Another interruption," Derflinger groused. "Why can't you guys just let a sword sleep?"

Saito sighed and stood up, walking over to the still banging door and opened it. Standing there was a man Saito did not recognize. He had silver-grey hair and a wide grin that practically screamed "crazy." Behind him was the same blonde girl that had healed Saito. Asia, if he recalled correctly.

"Who are you?" Saito asked the silver-haired man.

"Yo, newbie!" the man said with a strange cheeriness. "You can call me Freed-senpai!"

"Uh... Right," Saito said. "So, Freed-san, what is it that you needed?"

"You're coming with me and Asia-chan for an exorcism!" Freed declared. "Here, take these." He quickly thrust a gun and what looked like a bladeless sword hilt into Saito's chest, and he reacted instinctively by bringing his hands up to accept the items.

"Wait, what are these?" Saito asked. "And what are you talking about, going on an exorcism?"

"Oh, right. You're a newbie, so you don't know, huh?" Freed frowned, slapping his forehead with his palm. Then he bared his teeth in a too-wide smile. "That's okay! I'll teach you everything as your senior! Okay, see this?" Freed plucked the sword hilt from Saito's hands. "Look! This is super duper cool!"

With a faint "voosh" sound, a blade of light suddenly extended from the hilt, causing Saito's brows to shoot up.

"You ever seen Star Wars? Well, this here is a lightsaber!" Freed exclaimed happily. "Well, not really. Actually, it's just a holy sword. But it's _like_ a lightsaber and that's all that matters. It even has the sound effects! And this here" - Freed took the gun he had given Saito - "shoots bullets of light. Pewpew!"

Aiming at the far wall, Freed pulled the trigger. Unlike normal firearms, there was no noise or recoil. Instead, Saito was only barely able to notice the light that was fired from the end of the barrel before it made a bullet-sized hole in the wall an instant later.

"That's pretty cool, actually," Saito said, unable to keep himself from being impressed.

"Isn't it?" Freed said excitedly. The blade of light retracted back into its hilt and disappeared. Freed then handed the sword hilt and gun back to Saito. "Here, now it's your turn to try. I'll teach you how! Huh? Hey, why's your hand all glowing like that?"

Saito considered the gun and holy sword in his hands. As the Gandalfr's runes shined, he could feel an understanding of exactly how to use these weapons in his mind. The gun was nothing special in its usage – it was exactly like normal guns in almost everything except for its ammunition. The sword was little trickier, but still fairly straightforward.

By simply ordering the sword to extend with his willpower, the holy sword responded obediently. A blade of light extended from the sword hilt, causing Saito to smile satisfactorily as he took a few quick practice swings to the side with it. It was a strange blade, that much was certain. Because its blade was formed of solid light, the sword was nearly weightless. In fact, it almost felt _too_ light. Saito had come to prefer the heft of a solid sword in his hands, as it felt more natural and right. When it was this weightless, Saito almost could not even be certain if he was still holding the sword unless he was looking at it.

"Ooo. You're pretty good at this, aintcha?" Freed said, letting out a low impressed whistle. "Never seen a guy who was able to use one of these swords on his first try, without any instruction to boot."

"I have a knack for this sort of thing," Saito simply said as he retracted the blade of light.

"Huh," Freed grunted. "So, why's your hand going all Mr. Shiney?"

"Mr. Shiney?" Saito arched his eyebrow. He sighed and shook his head. "No. Never mind. And it's nothing. It just likes to do that."

This time it was Freed's turn to arch an eyebrow. "I've never heard of hands that like to glow." He shrugged. "Meh. Whatever. Let's go, go, go!"

**-Scene Break-**

The night air was fairly chilly, despite being spring, and Saito couldn't help but shiver slightly as he drew the long coat he had borrowed from Freed closer around him. Truth be told, he wasn't quite certain why he was here. Though he had tried to explain to Freed that he didn't really want to go do an exorcism, the priest had been very insistent. In the end, Saito had been dragged along. Thus, the three of them, Saito, Freed, and Asia, were now walking around in the dead of night when no one would be out for any proper reasons.

"So anyways, how are we supposed to track down the devils in the first place?" Saito asked as he shifted Derflinger on his back into a more comfortable position.

"Don't worry about that," Freed said nonchalantly. "That's why we work for that sexy bitch, after all."

Saito frowned. "Sexy bitch?"

"That angel in the slutty outfit," Freed clarified.

"... You mean Raynare?" Saito said flatly.

"Yeah, her," Freed said, snapping his fingers as if only just recalling her name. "Goddamn, I'd love to really fuck her brains out. You know what I mean, newbie?"

Saito's forehead furrowed as he frowned more deeply. "Uh, is that really a proper way to talk about an angel?"

"Proper?" Freed cackled. "Newbie, get the stick out of your ass. Have you _seen_ the way she dresses? She is just asking for it."

Saito exchanged glances with Asia, who was frowning and looked as disturbed by Freed as he was.

"Uh... Right." Saito decided to change topics. "So does Raynare tell us where to find the devils, then?"

"Yeah," Freed said, suddenly looking bored. Perhaps he found the more serious topic too dull, Saito wondered. "We're gonna go over to a home where devils have been known to show up."

"Where is it?" Saito asked.

"Here, there, wherever," Freed blathered. "Don't worry about it, newbie. Just follow me."

Saito scratched the back of his head, but nodded with a defeated sigh as Freed led them seemingly in circles, all the while humming a song.

As they walked, Saito took a quick glance at Asia, who also looked as though she did not want to be here, but had been dragged out by Freed anyway.

"By the way," Saito said quietly to Asia, who looked up at him and blinked. "I haven't introduced myself. My name is Hiraga Saito. Please just call me Saito."

"Ah, my name is Asia Argento," Asia said, curtseying politely. "You can call me Asia, though."

"Then, Asia-san," Saito said. "I never got a chance to thank you for healing me. You have my gratitude for that. I owe you and Raynare my life. If there's ever anything I can do for you, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Oh, it was no problem," Asia said with a smile so pure and innocent that Saito felt his heart melt just by looking at its radiance. "You don't owe me anything. I'm just glad I was able to help."

"You're very kind," Saito said honestly.

Asia blushed at the sudden compliment. "Um... Thank you. By the way, Saito-san, why were you so injured?"

Saito felt his jaw twitch slightly at the question as it inadvertently called up his memories of Halkeginia.

"I was betrayed," Saito said, and it took his utmost effort to keep himself from spitting out the words. "Betrayed, shot and left for dead."

Noticing the anger on Saito's face, Asia quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

Saito took a deep breath in order to calm himself down. "No. It's fine. It's not your fault." Saito sighed. "Anyway, what was that thing you used to heal me? When I asked Raynare, she said it wasn't magic, but it sure looked like magic to me."

"Oh that? That was my Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing," Asia said.

Saito frowned at the unfamiliar term. "Sacred Gear?"

"They're gifts from God that are bestowed upon certain individuals from birth and grant them some sort of power," Asia explained. "I was given the power to heal any injury without a trace, no matter how grievous it is."

"Really?" Saito's brows went up. "That's amazing! You're pretty lucky to be given such an incredible power, then."

Asia smiled bitterly, and Saito instantly knew he had stepped on some kind of emotional landmine. "Yes... Lucky..."

This time it was Saito's turn to apologize. "My bad," Saito said quickly. "I'm sorry."

Asia shook her head. "No need to apologize."

"Oi, you two lovebirds," Freed called back to them from several feet in front of them. "We're here."

Saito blinked as he looked towards the house that Freed had stopped in front of. Then he frowned when he realized he recognized it.

"Freed-san," Saito said. "Haven't we passed by this house like four times now?"

"Did we?" Freed cocked his head. "Well, if you say we did, then we must have."

Saito sighed exasperatedly and rubbed his temple. He could feel the onset of a headache just from having to put up with this man.

"Whatever," Freed shrugged. "Asia-chan. Why don't you take the newbie to the backyard and start putting up a barrier, yeah? I'll go investigate inside."

"Yes, Father Freed," Asia said politely.

After handing out the orders, Freed casually walked up to the house's door and kicked it with such force that it was flung wide open on its hinges. Saito opened his eyes wide at such a loud entry. If there really were devils inside, wouldn't it be better to be more surreptitious about it?

Saito shrugged and followed Asia to the backyard. Either Freed was simply confident enough in his skills to believe that he did not need to rely on stealth, or he was crazy enough to think the same. In either case, Saito decided to just leave this to the priest that Saito was beginning to think was not entirely well in the head.

In the backyard, Saito leaned against a tree as Asia began setting up a barrier. It was quite an interesting sight to behold, truth be told, and Saito watched with fascination as the very air around the house and its grounds began distorting, the space swirling about like something fluid. Judging from the beads of sweat that had formed and begun to trickle down Asia's face, Saito could tell that this was not a simple feat to accomplish.

However, after about ten minutes, Saito found himself becoming bored as the novelty of the spatial distortion wore off. He yawned as he slid down against the tree trunk and sat on the grass. In the stillness of the night, only the sounds of a few crickets could be heard. Saito couldn't help but wonder why Freed had bothered to bring him here if all he was going to do was make him sit around doing nothing.

Then Saito remembered his suspicions on Freed's grasp on sanity and realized that it was entirely possible that Freed had no actual purpose for bringing him along.

Saito let out a breath and pushed himself back up onto his feet. If there was nothing for him to do, he thought, he may as well go back to the church and get some sleep. It was late, and he was tired. Even if he did not like sleeping, he still needed it.

However, just as he was about to leave, Saito heard a sudden pained scream from inside the house. It did not belong to Freed, that much Saito was certain. The devil, then?

The scream served as a wake-up call for Asia who had been in a deep meditative state as she maintained the barrier. Her eyes snapped wide open in shock and she inhaled sharply.

"Ise-san?" Asia whispered with dread. "Impossible!"

With that, Asia sprinted towards the house's front door. Saito gripped Derflinger's handle with one hand as he followed after her. In an instant, Saito felt as though his body had become lighter and stronger, more agile and responsive. More, every one of his senses had been sharpened to the utmost degree, such that he could detect even the slightest motion, the faintest smell, or the quietest of sounds.

It was thanks to that he was able to smell something very familiar to him from within the house, even before he entered the building proper.

Blood. A lot of it.

When Saito and Asia barged into the home, he nearly threw up at the scene before him.

There, crucified against a wall, was what appeared to be a horrifically mutilated corpse of a man. His body had not been cut open so much as it had been butchered apart. The internal organs, blood, and waste products had been spilled onto the floor – the source of the rank smell in the air. Resting idly on the puddle of crimson liquid were two white marbles, which Saito realized moments later were actually eyeballs that had been plucked straight out of the corpse's head. Not only that, portions of the corpse's body was cut off and scattered throughout the room, such as an ear, a few fingers, a foot, the tongue, and the nose.

Saito forced the bile that had begun crawling up his throat back down again.

Freed had done this? In the span of only ten minutes and in near total silence?

He had been right, Saito thought. Freed _was_ insane.

Worse still, the corpse on the wall was not going to be his only victim.

"Ise-san!" Asia shrieked as she witnessed Freed, his arms and clothes soaked in blood, standing over a boy lying on the floor and gasping in pain. On each of his thighs was a bloody hole that bore straight through the limb and out the other side. They were most probably caused by the light-shooting gun that Freed was holding in his hand and aiming at the boy.

"A... Asia?" the boy muttered weakly.

Cold fury seized Saito.

This man, no, this _monster_ had just tortured and murdered one man. Now, right before Saito's eyes, he was about to do it again. Worse still, this was someone Asia knew and obviously cared for. As such, there was absolutely no way he was going to let this pass.

Silently, Saito charged forward, moving like a blur as he unsheathed Derflinger and swung down on Freed's arms. The insane priest noticed the attack just in time to be able to avoid the attack, though he was forced to jump backwards in order to do so.

"Oi, oi," Freed said, his tone clearly annoyed, even upset, at Saito's intrusion. "The fuck are you doing, newbie?"

"Shut up," Saito said icily. "That is my line: What the hell is all of this?" Saito made a sweeping gesture with one hand at the macabre scene around them. "Why did you murder that person, and why are you trying to kill another?"

Freed cocked his head. "Person...?" His face suddenly lit up brightly and he brought a fist down on an open palm. "Oh! I get it! Now I get why you're so upset!" Freed laughed. "You got it all wrong, newbie. See, that guy on the wall was someone who summoned and contracted devils, you know. And that trash lying on the floor behind you? He's a devil."

"W-Wait. Father Freed," Asia said weakly from near the doorway where she was trying desperately to keep herself stable and on her feet, leaning piteously against a wall in order to do so. The scene was no doubt far too much for the kindhearted girl, and her face looked more than a little green around the edges. "Are you saying that Ise-san is a d-devil?"

"Of course!" Freed declared cheerfully. "What, do you know this devil? Wow, what a surprise! Are you in love with him? Is this a forbidden love between a devil and a sister? Really? Truly? Seriously? Hahaha! Oh, oh this is great! Sorry, Asia-chan, but I'm going to kill this guy and chop him up into itty bitty pieces. Cause he's a devil, you know? That means that he's our enemy because we are e-x-o-r-c-i-s-t-s."

Saito frowned as he quickly looked over Ise. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not detect any difference between this boy, who Freed claimed was a devil, and that of a regular human.

"Ise-san," Asia said. "Is that true? Are you really a devil?"

"... I'm sorry, Asia," Ise said. "I never meant to trick you."

"Hahaha!" Freed laughed. "See? See? He's a devil! Now, if you'll excuse me, newbie, I'm gonna finish him off properly."

Saito bit his lip and hesitated. This boy was a devil? One of the evil and vicious hellspawns Raynare had warned him about? Truly? But no matter how hard Saito tried, he could only see Ise as a victim and Freed as the true devil.

During Saito's moment of hesitation, Freed walked past Saito in a brisk manner and pointed his gun at Ise. But before he could pull the trigger, Asia suddenly ran and threw herself in the way.

"Please wait, Father Freed!" Asia said. "Please don't kill Ise-san!"

Freed frowned. "Asia-chan, haven't you been listening? He's a devil. A devil! We gotta kill him because all devils are, like, evil, you know? He's our enemy."

"Ise-san is different!" Asia protested. "Even if he is a devil, he's still a good person. Please forgive him and let him go."

"Asia-chan," Freed sighed. "Are you stupid or something?"

Asia's face was set in a resolute expression. "Please, Father Freed. Let's stop here. What you did tonight is wrong. Just because someone has been entranced by a devil doesn't mean it's right to kill them. And even amongst devils, I'm sure that there are good people. Ise-san is proof of that. Let's stop here before you sin any further."

"Shut the fuck up, you fucking bitch," Freed said before violently kicking her across the head, knocking her to the side, unconscious. Saito's eyes narrowed as he looked at the bruise that was left where Freed had kicked Asia.

"Freed, you bastard!" the devil boy shouted furiously. "How dare you do that to Asia-chan!"

"Hahaha! So it _is_ a illicit love affair!" Freed exclaimed, his previous cheeriness returning. "Fantastic! Too bad, though, cause now you're gonna die, now. Don't worry, though. I'll take good care of Asia-chan. Bye bye, you shitty devil."

A sudden horizontal sword slash aimed precisely for Freed's neck forced the priest to bend almost completely backwards, drawing his upper body nearly parallel to the ground, in order to avoid the blade in time. Following the motion, he did a backflip and ended up a safe distance away from Saito, whose face was set in a cold and murderous fury.

"Okay, now I'm seriously getting really angry with all these interruptions," Freed said testily. "What's your problem now, newbie?"

"My problem?" Saito said. He pointed the tip of Derflinger at the insane priest. "My problem is that you just hit Asia. Your problem is that now I'm going to beat the shit out of you for it."

"Is that so?" Freed laughed maniacally, baring his teeth in an insane grin that spread ear to ear. "You know, if you try to fight me, I'm gonna kill you. I'm, like, super strong, you know? You sure you want to fight me, newbie-chan?"

In response, Saito silently brought Derflinger up in front of him into a combat stance, gripping its handle with both hands. Freed cackled wordlessly as he pulled out a holy sword with one hand, the blade of light extending as he did so, while keeping his gun in the other. For a moment, the two stared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move and thereby create an opening, when a bright red light suddenly flashed behind Saito.

In an instant, Saito strafed to the side, positioning himself in the room such that he was able to keep an eye on Freed and the crimson circle composed of strange runes and symbols that had formed on the floor behind Ise. From that magic circle, there was a flash of light as a person suddenly appeared on top of it. He was fairly tall and good looking, though somewhat lean. In his hand he was wielding a sword. There were two more flashes of light, signaling the entry of a short girl with pure white hair and a taller girl with long black hair tied up into a ponytail that reached down to her legs. Saito immediately understood then that the circle was actually a gate, one similar to the World Door or the familiar's summoning portal.

Saito felt himself tense as he watched the newcomers from the corner of his eye, but kept his body facing Freed with sword and stance ready only to strike him down.

"Oh my," the black-haired girl said, her eyes crinkled into narrow slits as she smiled dangerously. "What's this? Two exorcists fighting each other?"

"Y-you guys," Ise groaned from the floor. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious, Hyoudou-kun? We're here to rescue you." He glanced at Ise's wounds and grimaced. "But it looks like we were a little too late."

"Ha..." Ise chuckled weakly. "Better late than never, you damn handsome."

The blond boy flashed a grin before turning to glare at Freed and Saito. "So these guys are the ones who did this to you?"

"Oi, oi," Freed said with some annoyance. "Don't go trying to credit my work to someone else, you shitty devil."

The blond boy looked at Freed distastefully. "So it was just you?" He glanced back at the corpse pinned on the wall. "You're a monster."

"Me? A monster? Ha!" Freed guffawed. "Coming from a devil, that's rich!"

"Even devils have rules," the blond boy said in a low tone. "We would never do what you have done."

"Hahaha! You devils have rules?" Freed laughed loudly, letting it ring throughout the house. He looked at Saito. "Newbie-chan, you're gonna have to hold on for just a little bit, okay?" he said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "We can fight to the death after I kill these shitty devils."

Saito said nothing as he narrowed his eyes to glare at Freed and maintained a firm grip on Derflinger, though he did relax his stance and slowly lowered the sentient blade to his side.

Freed grinned wolfishly as he turned to face the devils fully. "Now, come on! Let's try to kill each other!"

"You're crazy," the blond boy stated with disgust.

"I know! It's wonderful, too!" Freed declared excitedly. Suddenly, he frowned sadly. "Ah, but where's your killing intent? A fight's no fun if one side isn't trying to kill, you know."

"Is that so? Then disappear."

Saito turned to look towards the owner of the new voice: a beautiful redheaded woman with a look of burning hatred on her face. From her outstretched hand, a sphere of black and blood-red energy shot forth towards Freed. It was roughly the size of a large melon, and it flew like a bullet in both speed and suddenness. For an ordinary human, it would have been near impossible to dodge it, especially given their relatively close proximity. However, Freed simply cackled and sidestepped the attack with almost casual ease.

"Ha! That's it! That's it!" Freed cried out joyfully while wiggling his body sensually. "This killing intent is perfect! You're gonna make me fall in love with you if you keep this up!"

"Tsk. I missed," the redhead said as she made a disgusted expression. "Kiba. Recover Ise. He takes priority. We're leaving."

"Yes, Buchou," the blond boy, Kiba said, as he picked up the fallen boy.

"Hey! Wait just a second!" Freed said, outraged. "You guys can't just leave! We have to fight!"

Instead of responding, the devils all ignored the crazy priest as they gathered on top of the magic circle. With an angry snarl, Freed launched himself forward, sword brandished and gun aimed at the group.

It was then that Saito seized his chance. Taking advantage of the opening Freed had unknowingly presented to Saito, the Gandalfr shot forward like an arrow. Placing all the force of the momentum of that charge behind Derflinger, Saito thrust the sword straight for Freed's flank with unerring aim.

However, whether it was due to the subtle sound of rustling cloth as Saito moved or because the widening and staring of the devils' eyes in surprise at the sudden ambush had served as a mirror, Freed was able to notice the attack and barely stopped his charge and twisted his body out of the way, though he did not manage to escape cleanly. Across his body, just below his chest, his clothes had a long cut running along its width. The scarlet line underneath was slowly beginning to soak his clothes with blood. Before the priest could recover his balance, Saito launched a crude kick – though powerful and fast thanks to Saito's Gandalfr activated state – into Freed's stomach, causing him to fly backwards and crash into the wall.

"You're helping us?" the redhead said, a note of surprise in her voice.

Saito did not turn away from Freed as he answered. "No. I just have a score to settle with Freed."

"Is that so?" she mused. "Well. Good luck, then."

"Hey! Don't leave, you shitty devils!" Freed wheezed as he struggled to his feet.

Unconcerned with his demands, however, there was a flash of light from behind Saito as the devils left in the same manner as they had come.

"Aw, dammit," Freed spat once the devils were gone. "Now look what you did, newbie. Because of you, they got away."

"Too bad," Saito said dismissively. "You have a bigger problem to deal with than a bunch of devils: me."

"Tsk." Freed sighed. "You know, newbie, I really, really, really, really, really hate it when people get in my WAY!"

That was the only warning Saito got before Freed lunged for Saito. Keeping his body low to the ground, Freed made a horizontal swipe at Saito's knees with his holy sword. Jumping up high, Saito avoided the attack, but was then faced with Freed aiming his gun at him from below. Saito twisted in midair just as Freed squeezed the trigger, narrowly avoiding the laser-like bullet of light.

In the same motion, Saito smashed Derflinger downward, but the sentient steel met only the carpeted flooring of the house, leaving a deep gash in its wake. Having quickly rolled backwards, Freed regained his balance in a crouching position and fired more light bullets at Saito from a distance of roughly nine feet away.

Saito nearly snorted. With the Gandalfr's speed, such a distance was nothing.

As Freed fired his gun, Saito did not wait to dodge until after the bullets of light had been fired. Instead, he watched the direction in which Freed kept his gun aimed at, then moved out of the line of fire the instant before Freed squeezed the trigger, dodging the bullets before they were even left the gun barrel.

For a normal human, such a feat was almost impossible. Life was not like movies or comic books. There were simply too many factors involved and not enough time to act upon them to make dodging bullets a feat that could be realistically replicated, not when they were aimed at you. To do so, one needed to determine the line of fire of the gun, react to the subtle changes of the gunman's aim, and then be able to move fast enough to get out of the way. All of which needed to be done in an instant.

Compounding the infeasibility of the feat was the simple fact that a trained gunman could adjust his aim and squeeze the trigger more quickly than most humans could even begin to move, or even _think_. In the end, it was simply a matter of physics. The body possessed a large mass, and thus it required more energy and force and, most importantly, _time_ in order to make it accelerate. The finger was far lighter and could begin its motion much more quickly – and the distance it needed to move to fire a gun was very, very small, the bullet very, very fast.

But Saito was not a normal human. He was the Gandalfr. With his heightened senses, he was able to instantly detect Freed's line of fire and sense the subtlest of changes. With his increased physical abilities, he was able to react and move quickly enough in order to stay one step ahead of Freed's trigger finger.

As such, none of Freed's shots found their target, Saito dancing and weaving in between the flurry of bullets.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Freed shouted in disbelief as Saito easily dodged his attacks, though it was with a wild, feral grin on his face. "Ha! You're amazing, newbie-chan!"

Saito did not reciprocate such feelings. Instead, he stuck his hand into the pocket of the long coat Freed had loaned him and pulled out his own exorcist's gun – also loaned to him by Freed. Even as he dodged, Saito took aim, then fired a single shot.

The bullet of light streaked through the air, and then hit Freed on his wrist, just below the base of his palm. The sudden pain caused the crazy priest to cry out in pain as he unconsciously dropped his gun. With the barrage of light now gone, Saito charged forward, eliminating the distance between them in two swift strides.

"Hahaha!" Freed laughed madly, sounding for all the world as if he was a child having fun at an amusement park.

Saito swung Derflinger at Freed's head, using the back of the sword so as to simply knock Freed unconscious rather than decapitate him. In order to avoid the strike, Freed simply fell straight onto his back. Once Derflinger sliced through the air harmlessly over Freed, the crazy priest brought his knees over his chest and then used his body like a spring to kick up and outwards, using the momentum to land back on his feet.

The instant he had done so, Freed made a quick but deadly swipe for Saito's neck with his holy sword. Saito easily ducked the slash, but the movement had cost Saito the time necessary for Freed to gain the reprieve necessary to regain his balance – it was the reason why he made such a warding attack in the first place.

Aiming low, Saito fired his gun for Freed's thigh, not even bothering to look properly at where he aimed. Though Freed's own senses were not on the Gandalfr's level, he was still exceptional in that regard, and was able to quickly react and move his leg back to avoid the immobilizing shot.

But in that slight opening, when Freed was forced to commit his body to the action of dodging, Saito struck. Derflinger flashed through the air like a steel viper, once more aimed for Freed's head.

With widened eyes, Freed quickly brought his holy sword up in order to block the attack, but Derflinger shined brightly as it easily cut through and greedily devoured the blade of light into nothingness. The blunt back of the blade struck Freed like a club, and he dropped almost immediately. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, he laid sprawled on the floor.

Chest heaving slightly from the strain of the fight, Saito took a moment to calm his breathing as he wiped the bit of blood that was on Derflinger's blade on a nearby couch before sheathing it.

"Ow, ow, ow," Freed groaned, causing Saito to stop and turn around to face the crazy priest. "What the hell was that? That wasn't fair!"

Saito couldn't help but gawk at Freed. He had been sure that he had hit the crazy priest with enough force to knock him out cold. But it seemed that he either hadn't or Freed was simply far more durable than he appeared.

Just as well, Saito thought. So cruelly attacking one of his life's saviors was not a crime he could forgive with just one good hit.

As Saito prepared to draw Derflinger once more, a rift suddenly opened in the space above them. It started out as a thin line, only barely noticeable to the naked eye, before it suddenly opened up like a gaping maw, leaving a violet-colored hole floating in the air. From that hole, two feet covered in black high-heeled leather boots appeared. That was then quickly followed by long, lithe legs, a supple, sensual body, black feathered wings, and a head with silky black hair.

It was Raynare.

And she looked furious.

"What," she hissed, her face twisted in rage, "is the meaning of this?"

"I-" Saito began.

"Not you," she snapped, cutting him off almost immediately. "Freed, you idiot! Did I not explicitly inform you that Asia and Saito are to remain at the church? I distinctly remember telling you on no less than three different accounts that they are to remain safe and hidden inside the church. What in the world are you doing bringing the two of them out!?"

"Aw, I just wanted to take the newbies out for a little fun," Freed said sheepishly, looking for all the world like a child who had been caught doing something naughty by his mother.

"You and I are going to be having words later," Raynare said as she glared at Freed. "We're leaving. All of you."

Landing gracefully on the ground, Raynare went over to the still-unconscious Asia and picked her up in her arms. She beckoned for both Saito and Freed to come to her, and once they did, there was a distortion of space as the four disappeared from the home of the unfortunate victim who remained crucified beyond recognition to the wall.

**-Scene Break-**

Saito sat stone-faced and cross-armed on a chair, a wooden desk before him, in a room that was more spacious than most of the other private rooms he had come across in the large church they were in. Like every other part of the church, however, this room was only dimly lit by oil lamps and candles. After waiting for a few minutes, the door opened softly and Raynare entered the room.

"Sorry for the wait, Saito," Raynare said, smiling, as she took a seat opposite of Saito across the desk. "What did you need?"

"I just want to know," Saito said a little more coldly than he had intended, a tone which was not lost on Raynare and caused her to frown ever so slightly. "Why is Freed here?"

Raynare stared at Saito, and then sighed exasperatedly as she leaned her forehead against her fingers. "What did he do this time?"

"This time?" Saito visibly tensed at those words, clenching his teeth as a vein bulged on his forehead. "He hit Asia and he brutally murdered another person, leaving their corpse on the wall as an unrecognizable mess. And you mean that this isn't his first time doing things like that?"

"It's the first time he's hit Asia," Raynare said. "The latter? Yes. This is not his first time."

"Then why is he still here!?" Saito exploded, rocketing up to his feet and slamming his hands down on Raynare's desk. The angel arched an eyebrow and looked at Saito with a cool expression. Slowly, Saito closed his eyes. Taking deep, steadying breaths, Saito very deliberately relaxed his body and sat back down. "Sorry," he finally said. "I just don't understand why you are allowing such a madman to stick around here. He's a murderer. He's dangerous. To be honest, I'm not sure if I can bring myself to stick around with him here."

Raynare carefully studied Saito for a long minute, staring penetratingly into his eyes with her own violet ones. Saito stared back unwaveringly, feeling for some odd reason that if he looked away first, he would be the one to lose.

"I suppose it would be best if I tell you a bit about Freed," Raynare finally said as she broke the deadlock. "It is as you say: Freed is a danger to all those around him."

"Then why?"

"Let me tell you a little about him for starters," Raynare said patiently. "You see, even amongst all the exorcists in the world, Freed is well known for being amongst the more skilled ones, but he is even more famous for being the exorcist that hates devils the most. He despises them, and has gotten into trouble more than once when he became too... overzealous in dealing with them. It's understandable, though, given his circumstances. When he was but a child, his family was murdered by a rogue devil in the most horrific of ways. It was only by chance and fortune that Freed managed to survive long enough for a group of exorcists to arrive and dispatch that devil. But ever since then, Freed has never been entirely well in mind and soul. It is his strength as an exorcist, but his weakness as a human being."

Saito frowned at the story. "I can understand that awful things happened to him," he said. "But then, wouldn't it be best to keep him away from others so that he doesn't hurt them?"

"Unfortunately," Raynare said, "the devils don't give us that luxury. They are more numerous than the number of skilled exorcists and angels that are available, combined. We cannot afford to be choosey of which exorcist we employ, especially when the exorcist in question is one as skilled as Freed."

"Even if it costs the lives of other humans?"

"That is why I keep him here, under my command," Raynare said, a flash of annoyance crossing her face. "By keeping him close by, I can at the very least limit the damage he causes." She glared at Saito. "Or do you think letting the devils run amok is the better alternative?"

"I think that accepting evil in order to fight evil is no method at all," Saito retorted.

"And while that is a fine ideal," Raynare said testily, "it is unfortunately not one we have the luxury of being able to uphold. Look around, Saito. Did you know that this church used to be not just another church, but one of the foremost headquarters for Christians in all of Japan?"

Saito shook his head. "No."

"In fact," Raynare continued, looking increasingly agitated as she spoke, "this entire city used to be under their protection. But the devils came here and destroyed them, desecrated this church, and then claimed this city as their own. They fester here like an unholy plague, one that _must_ be eradicated. It is as you say: Employing Freed is not something entirely righteous. But do you know what the "righteous" way of fighting back would entail? We would need large amounts of reinforcements from both human exorcists and other angels to combat the already numerous amounts of devils that have taken root in this city. But in doing so, we would provoke a great response from the devils who would send their own reinforcements. The end result would be a war that would inflict great harm not just to the combatants, but also to the innocent bystanders as collateral damage. Is that what you want, Saito?"

"... No," Saito admitted reluctantly. "It's not."

Raynare narrowed her eyes for a moment as she peered at Saito carefully. "As for what Freed did tonight, I've already made sure to have him punished. However, in regards to that man he killed? Though he did so unnecessarily brutally, Freed was not unjustified in killing him."

"Not unjustified?" Saito repeated incredulously. "He murdered another human being!"

"A human being that has repeatedly summoned and contracted devils," Raynare countered. "And in doing so, empowered those unholy demons."

Saito shook his head again. "I can't accept that. I understand that sometimes having to kill is necessary, and even morally justifiable. But that? What Freed did? No. That was not right. Sure, that man, whoever he was, did something wrong in making a deal with a devil, but it's not like he was hurting anyone. Maybe we could have convinced him to stop and brought him back to the proper path."

"That is wrong," Raynare said flatly. "Once a human has made even a single deal with the devil, their soul is forever tainted by darkness and belongs eternally to the devils. And certainly, that man may or may not have harmed another person directly, but in empowering the devils through their contracts, he harms others indirectly. That, no matter what you might think, is just as bad as being directly responsible for the crime."

Saito bit his lips as he considered Raynare's words, before nodding once, curtly. "I understand."

Raynare smiled at that. "Thank you, Saito."

"I'll going to go to bed now," Saito said as he stood up to leave. "Sorry for taking up your time."

"It was no trouble," Raynare said. "Oh, and before you leave, I thought you should know that the ritual will commence tomorrow night."

"Really?" Saito said. "That means that I...?"

"Yes," Raynare smiled. "After it's done, you'll be free to go. In the mean time, I was hoping to ask of you for a favor."

"Sure," Saito said eagerly. "What is it?"

"The time from now until tomorrow night is the most critical," Raynare explained. "I would like you to help guard us while we finish the final preparations. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course," Saito said. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Good," Raynare said with a wide smile. "Thank you. And good night."

**-Scene Break-**

_Saito screamed as the whip hissed through the air and snapped against his bare back, making a harsh cracking sound as it did so. Pain coursed through him like fire as the tool tore open his skin and drew blood. _

"_Louise! Stop!" Saito begged, tears of pain running down his cheeks. "Please, stop!"_

"_No!" the short, pink-haired mage said, a look of raw anger on her face. "Now stay still and I'll let you go with just another fifty lashes!"_

_With the ease and swiftness of long practice, and strength born of anger, Louise brought the whip down on Saito's back once more with all the swiftness of a viper striking out and sinking its fangs into its prey. Saito screamed in pain once more and collapsed onto all fours, trembling, as a fresh wound ripped open on his back, his warm blood dripping down his skin and onto the floor._

"_What are you doing this for?" Saito demanded. "Tell me what I did wrong!"_

"_Silence, dog!" Louise shouted. "You do not question your master! Neither do you associate with her enemies! Especially one that belongs to the Zerbst family!"_

_Saito couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was that what this was all about? Because he had been seen by Louise talking to Kirche? THAT was why he had to go through this pain and was forced to wear this stupid set of dog ears and collar?_

_Are you fucking kidding me? Saito thought incredulously and with deep anger._

_With strength born of rage, Saito stood back to his feet, even as the whip continued to crack through the air and bite at him. With a wordless shout, Saito lunged for Louise, his hand reaching out to grab hers, and used his superior weight and strength to forcibly stop her zealous whipping._

"_Release me, dog!" Louise ordered. "Just for this, your punishment has gone up to eighty lashes!"_

"_I don't think so," Saito snarled. "Listen here, just because I happened to be summoned by you as your familiar doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want with me!"_

_Louise narrowed her eyes at Saito. Then, with her free hand, she snapped her fingers._

_Blinding, electrifying pain from the collar coursed through Saito with such intensity that he was unable to even scream, unable to even think about screaming. His vision went white, his hair stood on end, as he dropped to the floor and convulsed horribly in blinding pain as the electricity paralyzed all control of his body, preventing him from even breathing._

_For what felt like hours or days this went on, until finally another snap of Louise's fingers caused the electricity to stop flowing from the collar, leaving Saito to only gasp for breath, still twitching uncontrollably in pain. Thin, faint wisps of smoke trailed up from around his neck, where the worst of the electricity from the collar burned the surface of his skin. _

_A small foot suddenly slammed down on Saito's head, and he grunted involuntarily at the sudden impact._

"_You. You don't seem to understand your place," Louise said imperiously. "You are my familiar. That means I am your master. You belong to me. And as your master, I have every right to discipline you as I see fit. Now stand up. For daring to touch me, you get one hundred lashes."_

_Saito didn't move. He laid there on the floor, still twitching occasionally, and simply breathed. Louise's brows twitched with annoyance. She snapped her fingers once again. _

_Once more, pain struck Saito like a lightning bolt. Horrible electrifying pain streaked through his body, so powerful that he could do nothing but spasm and suffer. Again, it felt like hours before Louise finally snapped her fingers and the electricity mercifully stopped._

"_Now. Stand up," Louise ordered tersely as Saito tearfully struggled to breathe. "Or would you rather go through that again?"_

_Saito couldn't think. It hurt too much. Instead, he slowly rolled over onto his stomach and put his trembling arms beneath him, struggling back to his feet. Legs still wobbly, Saito nearly lost his balance and fell again, but caught himself by stumbling over to the wall and leaning wearily against it, gasping for breath. _

"_Good," Louise said as she brought the whip once more to bear. "Now, stay still and we'll be done after one hundred and fifty lashes."_

_The whip cracked, and Saito screamed._

**-Scene Break-**

Saito eyes snapped open and he breathed heavily, his chest heaving up and down, as the warm light of the morning sun gently shone down on his face and body through the single window in the room. Cold sweat beaded his brow and dampened his shirt. Very deliberately, Saito brought one trembling arm up to his forehead and wiped it of sweat. Then, for several long minutes, he laid there, unmoving, slowly calming his breathing while basking in the sunlight, letting his sweat dry.

_That dream again,_ Saito thought almost clinically.

With tired limbs that made Saito feel several decades older than he truly was, Saito swung his legs over the edge of the bed sluggishly, and then stopped. For another few minutes, Saito stayed in that position, his legs bent and feet firmly planted on the floor, while his upper body remained lying on the bed. Then, with a sigh, Saito finished the motion and stood up reluctantly.

Saito walked over to a full-length mirror in the room and pulled down the collar of his shirt with a finger and looked at his reflection.

There, circumventing his neck, was an ugly ring of darkened flesh, marred and formed of a thin band of fibrous scar tissue.

Saito grimaced as he released the collar, letting it snap back up to partially cover his neck.

"Another nightmare, Partner?"

"How did you know?" Saito asked Derflinger without so much as sparing him a glance as he began getting dressed for the day.

"Same as usual," Derflinger said in his characteristic metallic voice. "Cold sweat, tossing and rolling, and you had a pained look on your face."

"Hngh," Saito grunted as he pulled himself into a pair of jeans.

"What was it about this time?" Derflinger asked casually.

"One of the usual," Saito answered tersely.

"Hm... Well, that doesn't tell me much," Derflinger commented. "You have a lot of 'usuals.'"

"Just drop it, Derf," Saito said, clenching his teeth as he replaced his sweat-soaked shirt with another one.

"Sure. Sorry, Partner," Derflinger said. To its credit, the sword did sound genuinely apologetic.

"It's fine," Saito said. He frowned as he looked at himself in the reflection. The shirt he was wearing was a plain white t-shirt, so its neckline was a little too low for Saito's tastes – it left the scar around his neck completely visible for all to see.

Saito tsked as he grabbed his long coat and slipped into it. While it was bearable at night, when the ambient temperature was much lower, the coat was uncomfortably warm in the morning, and Saito expected it would only get worse come afternoon. Still, Saito thought as he buttoned up the coat and popped the collar up, effectively hiding his neck. At least this way no one could see. He would just have to put up with it.

Suddenly, a furious scream resounded throughout the halls. Saito's head snapped towards the door.

"What was that?" Saito said even as he went over to Derflinger and grabbed the sentient sword.

"Dunno," Derflinger answered.

Saito quickly left his room, shutting the door behind him with a careless slam, and followed the direction from which the scream had come from. The owner of the voice had sounded like Raynare, so Saito quickly ran over to her office.

"What do you mean she's gone!?" Raynare demanded with such vitriol that Saito instinctively stopped just outside of her door. It was opened by a crack, and Saito carefully peered inside. Besides Raynare, there were three other people there. Like her, however, they all possessed the same jet-black wings as she did.

"Just that," a tall middle-aged man said. He had short black hair and dark eyes, and was wearing a trench coat and a fedora. Saito did not recognize this man, nor the other two with him. "The Sacred Gear girl is gone."

"Fuck!" Raynare cursed furiously, slamming a fist down on her desk, leaving a noticeable indentation on its wooden surface. "This is that goddamn Freed's fault. I told him that Asia was not supposed to leave the church. I fucking told him! Now she's run away because of him, that little bitch!"

"Calm down, Raynare," a tall female, taller than Raynare by a fair amount, and with a larger bosom as well, said in a soothing tenor voice. "We still have until tonight to find our little runaway and drag her back."

"Yeah, Raynare," a third voice said in a high-pitched tone. This one belonged to a short blonde girl, her hair tied up into twin pigtails, and was dressed in a gothic lolita outfit. "We still have time. It'll be all right."

"It's not that we have until tonight. We have _only_ until tonight!" Raynare snapped, slashing her hand angrily across the air. "Go. Split up and find her. Dohnaseek, you search the northern sector of the city; Kalawarner, the west; Mittelt, the east. I'll search the south. Bring her back however you must. Just make sure she doesn't die. We can't have her dying, yet. Not until tonight, at least."

"Understood," the three responded in chorus, before they each disappeared with a slight distortion of space.

Once Raynare was alone in the room, she took several deep breaths, seemingly as if to calm herself down, before she suddenly screamed furiously and whirled around towards the opposing wall. In an instant, a spear of light had formed in her hand and then blurred through the air before plunging straight into the wall. The solid concrete wall stood no chance – it crumbled away completely in an explosion of dust and stone, connecting Raynare's room to its neighbor as one.

"That fucking bitch," Raynare snarled as she kicked aside a chair that had fallen over from her tantrum against the wall. "How dare she run away? When I find you, Asia, I am going to make you suffer for this before I finally kill you."

And then she too was gone, vanishing right before Saito's eyes as she teleported away.

_Who was that?_ Saito thought as he cautiously leaned against the wall, feeling its cool sensation against his back.

That voice. That form. It sounded like Raynare. It looked like Raynare. But the words that came out of that person's mouth were most certainly not like Raynare. The Raynare Saito knew was kinder, even if she was forced to employ a monster like Freed out of simple pragmatism. The Raynare he knew would not have said the words that had been said. The Raynare he knew would not have sworn to torture and murder an innocent girl, his lifesaver. Yet, he had definitely not misheard, and he had definitely seen clearly. That voice was indeed Raynare's. Those words had truly come from her lips.

That meant only one thing.

He had been lied to.

Raynare was no angel. She was... something else. Something cold. Ruthless. Evil.

Manipulative.

Saito felt burning hot rage swell up from within him.

So. Even on Earth he was not free from the manipulations of others. Despite his rage, Saito couldn't help but chuckle. It was almost laughable how he had been disposed of as the result of the plots of one manipulative bastard only to be picked up by another almost immediately after returning to his homeworld. Saito did not know what Raynare wanted from him. He did not care. What he knew was that Raynare had deceived him about her true character, and had done so with the express intent of bending him to her will without Saito ever realizing it.

Saito hated that. He really, really hated that.

He hated being lied to. He hated being used. And above all, he hated being manipulated.

_No more,_ Saito thought. He knew the truth now. He knew who his enemy was. And now it was time for her plots and manipulations to end.

As if sensing his thoughts, Derflinger asked, "So, Partner. What's the plan?"

"We find Asia first, if we can," Saito said as he quickly began walking back to his room. "Then we help her escape to somewhere safe."

"Somewhere safe being...?"

Saito paused for a moment, contemplating the question, before resuming his pace. "She seemed to be friendly with that devil guy from before. Ise, I think his name was? Maybe he has comrades that could help keep Asia safe."

"And if that doesn't work?" Derflinger said. "Or what if they find her first?"

"Then we'll have to fight, won't we?" Saito remarked wryly.

"Do you think we can?" Derflinger asked. Though the sword could not frown on account of being a sword, his tone made it clear he felt apprehensive of such a plan of action. Saito knew why. The almost casual demonstration of power from Raynare was honestly rather frightening. Such power and speed placed it at least on par with an attack from the average square class mage in Halkeginia. And if the other three were comparable to her, then even he would be in trouble in a straight up fight.

But what other choice did he have? If it came down to it, if Asia was captured by them, then Saito had no choice but to fight. No. That wasn't quite right. He had choices. For example, he could run away instead.

It wasn't that Saito had no other choice, but that he _refused_ to consider his other options.

There was absolutely no way that he would abandon his lifesaver to death. The debt he owed to her was too great. He would fight, and he would succeed in saving her, no matter the cost – even if that cost was his life. Such a price was cheap to Saito. After all, he was already supposed to have died at that time in the alleyway, a result of Vittorio and Julio's betrayal. If, then, he could use this life that had been saved to save his lifesaver, then that was something he was obligated to do.

Saito opened the door to his room and strode in, dropping Derflinger on the bed as he gathered up his blanket.

"Hey, Partner," Derflinger said. "Shouldn't you be out looking for that priest girl? What are we doing back here? And... why are you wrapping me in your blanket?"

"This is Japan, not Halkeginia," Saito explained. "We have laws here that specifically disallow people from carrying swords and other weapons in full view in public. I can't afford to have you taken away from me while we're out there."

"What kind of stupid law is that?" Derflinger said, outraged. "This is oppression! Tyranny! Injustice! I will not be silenced!"

"Yeah, yeah," Saito rolled his eyes as he swathed the blanket around the sentient sword. "Make sure to keep it down while we're outside."

"Freedom!" was the last thing Derflinger managed to cry out before his voice was muffled by the cloth.

**-Scene Break-**

The sun beat down on Saito uncomfortably as he scoured the city, his sweat soaking into his shirt and coat as he ran. Still, he did not stop. He could not afford to stop.

Saito needed to find Asia, but the odds were stacked against him. Not only did he need to find Asia before one of the four others that were searching for her, he, unlike them, could only search by foot. Raynare and her comrades could both fly and teleport – a significant advantage when trying to locate a missing person. Fortunately, they did not know where Asia had disappeared to. Unfortunately, Saito was the same.

Without even a clue of where Asia might have gone, there was only one option for Saito to take, and the mediocrity of such a plan frustrated Saito: to run as fast as he could throughout every part of the city and hope he got lucky.

With Derflinger wrapped in a blanket and strapped on his back, Saito could not rely on the sentient blade to activate his Gandalfr's powers. That would be too obvious and could draw in the wrong kind of attention from the police. Instead, Saito held onto the hilt of a holy sword with his left hand, and hid it and his hand inside his voluminous sleeves. This had the bonus effect of hiding the shine from his runes. Saito resolved to get a glove to cover it instead sometime in the near future.

Over the course of three hours, Saito continued searching nonstop, and his Gandalfr's runes felt unusually warm against his skin from the constant use. He passed through the shopping district, seven different neighborhoods, five city squares, two parks, and even a few families' gardens. It was all to no avail, however, for Saito caught not even a trace of Asia.

Finally, Saito stopped, dropping the holy sword's hilt into his coat's pocket. Even though the abilities of the Gandalfr granted him greatly increased stamina, Saito was tired, mostly due to the heat. Any more than this, and Saito feared he might suffer from a heatstroke.

Thus, despite not wanting to, Saito forced himself to sit down under the shade of a tree in another, empty park he found himself in, setting the blanket-covered Derflinger down on the ground beside him and fanning himself with his hand as he leaned against the tree. Saito picked at his shirt, completely soaked with sweat, and considered taking it off to help alleviate the heat more quickly before ultimately rejecting the idea. The rough bark of the tree felt scratchy on his back through the wet cloth of his shirt, and Saito began to close his eyes in order to rest for a little while.

That was when Saito heard it. It was faint, but he could hear voices. Very familiar voices.

Ise. Raynare. Asia.

Saito immediately bolted to his feet, grabbing the coat and Derflinger as he did so. Following the source of the sounds, Saito found Raynare hovering mere centimeters over the water of the fountain that lay in the center of the park. She was looking down on Ise, who was glaring back at the black-winged, black-haired, black-hearted woman. Asia hid timidly behind Ise's back.

_Damn,_ Saito thought. _I'm too late._

Seeing as how none of them had noticed Saito yet, he quickly and silently hid behind a tree and watched as the scene unfolded.

"I can't believe you actually survived," Raynare said, amused. "And as a devil, too. That's hilarious!"

Saito saw Asia's lips move, but she spoke too quietly for him to hear.

"So what if I did? What does a fallen angel like you want with Asia, anyway, Yu-... No, Raynare?" Ise demanded.

Fallen angel. So that was what Raynare was.

"Don't say my name, you damn low-class devil," Raynare spat, as if the words were something filthy. "You'll just dirty it. And as for what I want, it's that girl. She's my personal belonging. Return her to me. Come, Asia. Let's go back now."

"N-No," Asia stuttered, though she spoke with firm intent. "I don't want to go back there. You guys... You guys killed other people. And you did awful things to me as well."

"Don't say that, Asia," Raynare said sweetly, though to Saito it only sounded like the words of a snake, the poison that dripped from its fangs. "Your Sacred Gear is essential for our plan, you know."

"She already said that she doesn't want to go with you, Raynare!" Ise said angrily.

Raynare quietly regarded Ise for a moment. Then, in a harsh voice, she said, "I thought I told you not to say my name, you damn low-class devil."

In her hand, a spear of light began to form, and Saito tensed as he recalled the power and speed that the magical construct possessed. Quickly, he began unwrapping Derflinger, even as Ise, who seemed to recognize the danger he was in, shouted, "Sacred Gear!"

There was a flash of light, and then a red gauntlet formed of some strange metallic material formed around Ise's left hand. For a moment, Saito could see a stunned expression cross Raynare's face. She hadn't been expecting this, Saito realized. Good. The distance between him and Raynare was all flat and open land. Any movement he made to try and close the gap would be noticed almost immediately, no matter how fast or how sneaky. But if Ise could fight Raynare even for just a few seconds, keeping her preoccupied, Saito could charge at full speed and take down Raynare before she even knew what had hit her.

What Saito didn't expect was when Raynare began laughing loudly, mockingly.

"Twice Critical?" Raynare chuckled. "That's your Sacred Gear? It's fitting, I suppose, that a low-class devil like you should possess a low-class Sacred Gear. All it does is just double its wielder's power temporarily."

"Sacred Gear, activate!" Ise cried out, a hint of desperation in his voice. "If you can really double my power, then do it! Activate!"

"Boost!" the gauntlet suddenly announced.

With the gauntlet's announcement, Ise's face became more confident, and he faced Raynare with determination. It seemed that Ise was one whose thoughts were easily readable from his facial expressions, Saito thought, because it was clear what he was thinking: _"With this, I can fight!"_

Such a hope was cruelly dashed by Raynare. Her spear of light streaked through the air so fast that Saito was unable to see it. One moment, it had been in her hand. The next, it was impaled through Ise's guts, piercing straight through his body. The spear faded, and then blood spurted out freely in the now open hole.

"Gah!" Ise cried out in pain as he collapsed to his hands and knees.

"Ise-san!" Asia immediately dropped down beside Ise and put her hands over his wounds. A green light shone from her hands, and Saito could see the young devil's wounds quickly close in real time. In a matter of seconds, the wound was completely gone, the only trace that it having ever existed being the two bloody holes in his shirt on opposite sides.

Saito bit his lips. There went his plan. As it stood, Raynare was too powerful for Ise to face as an opponent. Forget preoccupying Raynare for a few seconds, Saito wasn't even sure if Ise could hold her attention for one.

"You see?" Raynare said mockingly. "Even if you double a useless "one," it only becomes a worthless "two." You aren't strong enough to even come close to beating me. You can't even lay a scratch on me. Do you understand now, you worthless low-class devil?"

_Fuck,_ Saito thought as he frantically tried to figure out what to do. As it stood, Ise could do nothing helpful. But even if Saito went out to fight Raynare right now, he was not confident at all that he could win. With the Gandalfr's speed and reflexes, plus Derflinger's magic absorption ability, Saito knew he could probably avoid the fallen angel's spears of light. For a time, at least. However, this battleground was far too unfavorable to Saito. With the open sky above them, Raynare could simply fly out of Saito's reach and freely rain down her attacks on him, leaving him completely unable to to counterattack. With few places to take cover, Saito would be forced to rely on dodging and blocking Raynare's assault, but eventually such a battle would end with him getting killed. It was inevitable.

Saito wasn't afraid to die for the sake of Asia, his lifesaver, but he had absolutely no intention of dying a useless death. To go out now would mean to die without accomplishing anything. In the end, Raynare would simply kill him and Ise and steal away Asia.

Saito really wished he had a gun, or at least a bow and arrows, right now.

"Now then, Asia," Raynare said, her voice once again dripping with the same poisonous sugar as before. "How about you come back with me? Hmm? Otherwise, I'll just have to kill that devil-kun and then take you by force."

"S-Shut up, you damn fallen angel," Ise grunted. "I'll beat you. I'll definitely beat you!"

"... I understand, Raynare-sama," Asia said.

"Asia!" Ise exclaimed in horror as he whirled around to face the blonde girl.

"Thank you, Ise-san. For everything," Asia said, smiling, a single tear trickling out of her left eye. "I had a lot of fun today."

"Asia! Stop!" Ise cried out as Asia walked very deliberately towards Raynare.

Saito clenched his teeth. It was time to make a decision. Either he could try to stop Raynare now, or he could not. If he fought now, his only opponent would be just a single fallen angel. A single, powerful fallen angel. If he fought later, at the church, then he would be fighting not only that same powerful fallen angel, but also three of her comrades and a legion of exorcists. However, they would also all be inside of a building. It had ceilings. Restraints for his flying foes. More, he could also pilfer some of the exorcism guns and use them against the fallen angels, though Saito was not certain how effective the bullets of light were against them.

_What will it be?_ Saito thought. _Now or later?_

"Good girl," Raynare said happily as Asia came to her side. "Now then. Let's go back. After tonight's ritual, you'll be freed of all your suffering."

"Asia!" Ise screamed frantically. "Stop! We're friends, aren't we? Don't go with her! I'll beat her, I swear! So don't go! I'll protect you, I promise!"

"Thank you, Ise-san," Asia said quietly, the tears now flowing freely down her face. "I'll never forget you."

The time had come. Saito had to make a decision _now._ He could either try to stop Raynare now, or he could attempt it later.

The former had a low chance of success. The latter, marginally more so.

However, if Ise's feelings were real, if his promise to protect Asia was real, then if Raynare took Asia away, he would not allow it to end like this. He would go and try to rescue her, whatever the cost. In that regard, he was similar to Saito. And if he brought his allies with him, the chance of success at rescuing Asia became higher, even if it was only slightly so.

Saito took a deep breath as he slowly began wrapping Derflinger in his blanket once more. It was decided. Later. He would wait until tonight for Ise and whatever allies he brought. Then, whether he appeared or not, Saito would rescue Asia, without fail.

Thus, Raynare and Asia vanished, leaving Ise and Saito alone in the park, the former still unaware of the latter's presence. Only the mournful and angry cries of Ise resounded through the morning air.

**-Scene Break-**

"Hey, hey, newbie," Freed said.

"What?" Saito replied flatly, not even bothering to spare the crazy priest a glance as Saito sat on the steps leading up to the altar, Derflinger sheathed across his back.

"I know that we've had our own little spats, but let's try to put that aside for tonight and get along, okay?" Freed said sweetly. "After all, our real enemies are the devils, right?"

Saito turned his head to glare at Freed. "I hate you, Freed, and we'll never, as you say, 'get along.'" Saito turned back to face the closed doors of the church patiently. "Though you are right in at least one thing: I know who my real enemies are now."

"Hahaha!" Freed laughed merrily. "I like you! You're honest. Tell ya what – after that slutty bitch finishes that ritual thingy of hers, how about we finish our fight to the death, yeah?"

"Perhaps," Saito grunted.

Freed grinned wolfishly at the answer. "Or maybe you want to settle it right now, newbie-chan?"

Saito looked at Freed once more, an eyebrow raised. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other, Freed with a wild, battle-hungry look; Saito with a flat, cold one. Finally, Saito cracked a small smile.

"Not now," Saito said. "Maybe next time."

"Aw..." Freed bemoaned. "But I'm so booored doing nothing. Guard duty sucks."

Saito glanced at one of the windows in the high-ceiling atrium of the church. Through them, Saito was able to see the positioning of the moon in the night sky. Saito frowned. It was getting late. If he waited too much longer than this, he would run out of time. Had he been mistaken about Ise's character after all?

It couldn't be helped, Saito thought as he placed a hand on Derflinger's hilt and drew the blade. With that simple action, the Gandalfr's runes began to shine, and he felt his body become lighter and stronger; his senses sharpened to an animal keenness. And then he heard it: footsteps – three of them – from beyond the church's door.

"Here they come," Saito immediately warned Freed as he stood up, sword raised, and faced the door in a battle ready stance.

"Eh?" Freed glanced once at Saito, and then followed his line of sight towards the church doors. An excited expression lit up on Freed's face and he cackled eagerly. "Finally! It's about time some devils showed up!"

As if on cue, the doors slammed open, and three people strode in. At their head was Ise. Standing beside him on either side was the handsome blond guy and the short white-haired girl. Ise had a wrathful expression on his face, while the blond boy emanated a far more carefully restrained battle spirit. The white-haired girl, however, looked completely and totally emotionless.

"Freed!" Ise started to shout, before noticing Saito standing beside the crazy priest, sword bared and ready. "You. Your from last night."

"And so are you," Saito remarked dryly.

Ise hesitated, anger and confusion mixing in his expression, as if unsure to make an angry demand or a polite request. "Can you get out of our way?" he finally said "You saved me last night. I don't want to fight you."

"Ha!" Freed laughed loudly. "Don't bet on it, shitty devil-kun. Last night newbie here was just confused. But we've come to an understanding, right, newbie?"

"Yeah," Saito said, narrowing his eyes at the group of devils. "Last night I was just mistaken about who I'm supposed to be fighting."

"Shit," Ise spat as a light flashed across his left arm, the red gauntlet from before reappearing then. Beside him, a sword materialized out of thin air in the blond boy's hands, while the white-haired girl took a martial arts stance – her center of gravity slightly lowered, right leg drawn back, knees bent, and arms up and ready with her fists clenched.

"I was hoping you would come here, you know," Freed grinned as he pointed at Ise. "There hasn't ever been a devil to get away from me. You're the first. You're special. So I hope you've become a little stronger than last time. Now then, newbie, let's go!"

"Yeah," Saito said quietly. "Let's go."

Then, in a sudden motion, Saito spun in a complete circle and used the centrifugal force to swing and smash the back of Derflinger's blade across the back of Freed's skull, near its base. There was a sickening crunching sound as steel met bone, and Freed dropped to the floor instantaneously, his consciousness completely gone.

Ise and his two comrades stared at Saito in surprise, and they hesitantly lowered their battle stances, but only slightly.

"I have only one question for you," Saito said, pointing Derflinger at Ise. "Who are you to Asia?"

Ise blinked. "What?"

"You heard me," Saito said flatly. "Who are you to Asia?"

Ise looked at Saito with a perplexed expression for a moment, before a determined look took its place. "I'm her friend. And I'm here to rescue her."

Saito gave Ise a small smile at that. "Good."

Saito walked over to the wooden altar. Steel flashed as Saito made two swift strokes of the blade, causing the altar to crumble into four smaller pieces. Saito kicked these pieces aside, revealing a hidden stairwell beneath.

"This way," Saito said to the devils, beckoning them to follow as he sheathed Derflinger. "Asia is down here."

When the devils didn't budge, Saito frowned at them.

"What?" Saito said. "We don't have time to hang around here."

It was the blond boy who spoke first. "This time and last time – why are you helping us?" he asked suspiciously. "Are you not an exorcist?"

Saito snorted. "No. You are mistaken. I am not an exorcist. And last time, I was just angry at Freed for hitting Asia, my lifesaver. The fact that I helped one of you was just a nice side benefit. This time, it's like I told Freed – I've realized who my true enemy is: Raynare." Saito looked at Ise. "I was there this morning, you know, when you tried to stop Raynare from taking Asia away. You were very brave."

"Wait, you were there?" Ise said in shock. "Why didn't you help me protect her then?" he demanded.

"To be honest, it was because you were too weak to be of any help, even if I did intervene, and the battleground was unfavorable for me," Saito said so bluntly that Ise winced. "I thought, however, or rather, I hoped that your feelings would be true enough that you would come to try to rescue her, and that you would bring allies."

"In other words," the blond boy mused with a smile, "you're using us."

Saito returned with a bitter smile. "If it seems that way, I'm sorry. But that's not my intention. Our goals are already aligned. I am simply trying to improve the chances of Asia being rescued by having us work together, because I _will_ save Asia, no matter what."

Ise snorted. "I don't really care if you're using us or not. We both want the same thing, right?" Saito nodded in affirmative. "Then it's settled! Let's go rescue Asia!"

Saito smiled genuinely. "Yeah. Let's go."

The party of four walked down the spiral stone staircase that led beneath the earth, Saito in the lead, followed by Ise, the blond boy, and then the white-haired girl. It was dark and the air was stale and musty. Without any lights, they group had to move slowly, lest they accidentally trip and break a leg. It would have been beyond stupid, Saito thought, if they had come this far only to lose because they fell on the stairs.

"By the way," Ise said. "What's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"I'm Hyoudou Issei," Ise said.

"I'm Kiba Yuuto," the blond boy said afterward.

"... Toujou Koneko," the white-haired girl spoke up very quietly.

"A pleasure to meet you all," Saito said politely as they reached the end of the staircase, where a door stood in their way. Feeling around, Saito searched for the handle with his hands, relying on his sense of touch. When he found it, he twisted it and opened the door, allowing light to flood back into his eyes, forcing Saito to blink a few times as his eyes rapidly adjusted to the sudden brightness.

The room before Saito was large and cavernous and lit with fluorescent lights, allowing clear and easy vision. It was crowded with around fifty or sixty human exorcists, who were all kneeling before a large sacrificial altar on which a large cross that pulsated with a pale emerald light was standing. Bound to that cross was Asia, who appeared to be unconscious, parts of her clothes ripped away, revealing her fair and naked flesh underneath. Standing beside the cross was Raynare, who looked surprised to see Saito and the others there.

"Asia!" Issei shouted, immediately capturing everyone's attention.

"Saito?" Raynare said. "What are you doing? Why have you brought the devils here? They're going to ruin everything!"

"Shut up," Saito snarled, drawing Derflinger and pointing the tip of the sword at her. "I know who and _what_ you really are, Fallen Angel."

Raynare sneered. "I see. Then I no longer have to put up that ridiculous charade."

"Raynare! Release Asia, now!" Issei demanded hotly.

"I thought I told you not to say my name, you damn devil," Raynare said coldly, narrowing her eyes. "Keep them busy while I finish the ritual, all of you."

With a wordless roar, the exorcists all charged for Saito and the devils, holy swords and guns brandished. The instant they began firing their bullets of light, Saito and the others had begun moving. Dashing forward, Saito used his speed and reflexes to dodge or absorb the bullets of light with Derflinger, before jumping straight into the midst of a crowd of exorcists. Saito spun, and Derflinger flashed through the air, drawing a painting of blood like a brush, the artist, Saito, as it sliced through flesh and bone with untold ease. In an instant, four men around Saito dropped to the floor, either dead or dying.

Taken by surprise by the sheer swiftness with which Saito dispatched some of their comrades, the other exorcists immediately backed away from Saito and took a more cautious stance. Taking advantage of the brief lull in combat, Saito took a quick glance at the others.

To Saito's surprise, Kiba was able to match Saito's Gandalfr induced speed, and he was fighting in a manner similar to that of Saito himself. Using his superior speed, Kiba dodged the bullets of light even as he closed the gap between him and the exorcists. Then, before they could even properly react, Kiba would cut them down before moving on to the next, repeating the scenario all over again. The only difference between Kiba and Saito was that Kiba was using a sword that appeared to be made of solid shadows, though it, like Derflinger, devoured the bullets of light and the blades of the holy swords greedily.

Behind them, Koneko had taken a solid stance, in front of Issei, arms raised in a crossguard like a shield. When the bullets of light hit the diminutive girl, they simply bounced off as if they were pebbles being thrown against a brick wall. When Saito had first seen the little girl, he had assumed she was probably the weakest of the bunch.

What he was witnessing now had proven that he was dead wrong.

If Kiba was like a fast flying jet, then Koneko was like an unstoppable heavy tank. Her speed was only a little superior to that of most girls her size, but she barreled forward with reckless abandon, ignoring the shots fired by the exorcists as if they were not even there. Then, with her full momentum behind her, she rammed her fist straight into the guts of an exorcist, causing him to vomit blood as he rocketed backwards, crashing into his comrades as he did, and land in a pile over a dozen feet away. Without stopping, she grabbed a nearby exorcist by his ankles and then used him like a makeshift club, swinging him around as flesh and bone met flesh and bone in a brutal collision.

Saito winced as he watched the literal human weapon get deformed as his body became further and further broken by such brutal treatment. For a moment, Saito wondered how these two were able to accomplish such feats of speed and strength. Then he remembered: Devils. It wasn't surprising if they had some sort of special ability that put them on a higher level than ordinary humans – a fact that was quickly reinforced by Issei himself.

"Promotion: Queen!"

To Saito's surprise, when Issei moved again, it was with speed that was almost comparable to his own or Kiba's. And when he smashed his gauntlet-covered fist into an exorcist, it was with strength only slightly beneath that of Koneko's.

Despite the urgency of the situation, Saito couldn't help but let out a low whistle of surprise as Issei moved like a juggernaut, shrugging off the the bullets of light almost casually, only bothering to actually block against the holy swords. He lashed out viciously against the exorcists. It was amateurish, the way he fought, and rough, but with Issei's sheer speed and strength, that did not matter as he decked out exorcists left and right.

Jumping back into the fray, Saito lunged forward, moving ever closer to Raynare, who was chanting something quietly under her breath as she faced Asia, away from the fight, causing the cross to pulsate more strongly and more rapidly with every passing second. Saito grimaced as he brought Derflinger up to guard against a downward swing of a holy sword, the blade of light quickly being consumed, before countering with a diagonal cut from the exorcist's shoulder to his opposite hip.

Time was running out. He needed to hurry.

"Asia!" Issei shouted as he charged recklessly towards Raynare, ignoring the exorcists all around him.

"Hyoudou-kun!" Kiba shouted out in warning.

Issei's eyes went wide as he immediately turned to face the exorcist that was making a thrust for Issei's heart with his holy sword. Quickly, Issei brought up his gauntlet-covered arm and used it as a shield to deflect the attack to the side, before punching the exorcist in the nose with his normal right fist. The exorcist reeled back, clutching his nose painfully, before Issei finished him off with another punch to the jaw, shattering the bone to pieces.

Saito growled with frustration as he ducked a horizontal slash, and then propelled himself back up to his feet, using the momentum to drive Derflinger up through the attacker's guts and out of the back, mere inches below the heart. Pulling Derflinger free, Saito continued cutting a swathe through the seemingly unending sea of flesh and light.

"Kyaaah!"

Saito looked towards Asia, whose eyes were snapped open, a bloodcurdling scream of pain coming from her lips. She struggled vainly against the chains that bound her to the cross, jerking and convulsing, with foam dribbling from her lips as a sphere of green glowing light slowly emerged from the center of her chest.

"STOP!" Saito roared as he charged for Raynare. "Out of my way!" he snarled at the exorcists who stood in between him and the fallen angel.

However, the harder Saito fought, the more fanatically the exorcists struck back. Though each one was nowhere close to being able to challenge Saito, they were far more numerous than him and the devils. Though their numbers had been greatly culled, there was still over two dozen of them. Soon they would break through, but Saito knew that "soon" was not good enough.

Suddenly, Asia stopped screaming – an eerie silence – as the green orb of light fully left her body. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her head lolled, her entire body slackened, and Raynare laughed triumphantly.

"I've done it!" she cried out joyfully as she gently took the green orb in her hands. "Twilight Healing is mine!"

Very carefully, Raynare pushed the green orb into her own chest, and it melded into her flesh.

"RAYNARE!" both Saito and Issei roared simultaneously.

Together, the two of them forced their way past through the crowd of exorcists, who quickly parted to allow them unobstructed passage. Saito ran up the altar's steps first, reaching the cross from which Asia remained bound. With three swift strokes, Saito cut apart the chains binding her wrists and ankles, allowing her to drop into Saito's awaiting arms. Quickly, he laid her down on the ground and put two fingers to the side of her neck, where her carotid artery was.

"How is she?" Issei asked urgently from behind Saito. "Is Asia all right?"

Saito paled, and his breathing became shallow and unsteady. He removed his fingers from Asia's neck and put his ear against Asia's bosom.

"Well?" Issei said almost impatiently.

"... She's dead," Saito whispered almost silently.

"What did you say?" Issei said, not having heard Saito.

"Asia... is dead."

Issei paled, and dropped to his knees. "No way... That can't be right..." Slowly, with trembling hands, Issei scooted closer to Asia and felt for her neck. For a few seconds he remained completely still, as if desperately hoping that her pulse would contradict Saito's words. When it didn't, when no pulse could be felt, tears began forming in Issei's eyes. "Asia. Asia. Asia! ASIA!" he wailed as the tears began flowing freely down his face.

Raynare laughed derisively at the sight. "Morons. If a human has their Sacred Gear pulled out of their body, of course they're going to die. It's just as important to them as their heart, you know."

"Hyoudou-san," Saito said quietly. "Please get Asia out of here."

Wordlessly, Issei nodded, and he scooped up Asia in his arms and ran out of the underground room. Raynare watched him go with an amused smile on her lips.

"Well, I guess I can let him have that corpse," Raynare mused. "Maybe he can have a bit of fun with it while it's still warm."

Slowly, Saito rose to his feet, though he kept his gaze down, looking at the place where Asia had been lying.

"I was going to rescue Asia," Saito simply said.

"You failed, then," Raynare remarked.

"She didn't deserve for this to happen to her."

Raynare snorted. "As if a lesser being can complain what I, a superior being, does to them."

"If I hadn't waited, if I had acted sooner, I might have been able to stop this from happening."

"Please," Raynare rolled her eyes. "As if a human like you could do anything to stop me."

"I was going to rescue Asia," Saito repeated, eyes still downcast. "I was going to save her. But I failed. So now... Now the only thing I can do is KILL YOU!"

Saito roared with unrestrained anger as he brought his strength and speed to their utmost limits in order to make a single horizontal slash across Raynare's belly. Whether it was because she was unable to react in time or because she simply chose not to, Raynare did not make a move in order to dodge or defend against the blade. Instead, Saito's sword met the flesh of the fallen angel in a disemboweling attack. Her stomach opened, and Saito could even see Raynare's spine with how deeply he had cut. However, a familiar emerald light glowed from around the open wound, and Saito watched as the wound quickly closed and healed without a trace, as if watching the injury simply rewind.

"Isn't this marvelous?" Raynare said as if she had not even noticed Saito's rage or attack. "Twilight Healing is an exceedingly rare Sacred Gear that allows its wielder to completely heal any injury in a matter of seconds, no matter how severe." She patted her stomach. "Truly wonderful."

"Yeah. It is amazing," Saito agreed. "And it doesn't belong to you!"

Saito slashed wildly all over Raynare's body. Flesh split and flayed as Derflinger sliced through them like so much meat. Her throat opened, her ribs were revealed, her tendons were cut apart. But even as Saito continued to deliver debilitating or even mortal wounds, every one of them healed and vanished faster than he could inflict new ones; faster than Raynare herself could die. Finally, Raynare stopped Saito by grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air, his feet flailing futilely a few inches above the ground.

"I think that's quite enough," Raynare said calmly as Saito choked and struggled to breathe. "Even if I can heal myself, it still hurts, and it's annoying. I'm going to have you sleep quietly now until I can give you to Lord Azazel."

Saito thrust Derflinger towards Raynare, but she caught the blade with her spare hand easily. The edge of the blade bit into her hand deeply, causing blood to trickle down her hand and arm. Saito tried to wrench the sword out of Raynare's grip, but even with the Gandalfr's increased strength, in the position he was in, Saito was only able to rely on his arm strength alone to try to free Derflinger. With his oxygen running low and when against an inhuman being like Raynare, that simply was not enough.

Abandoning his efforts to free Derflinger, Saito snapped his leg up with the last of his strength and kicked Raynare's chin with his heel. Saito felt bone crumble and shift beneath his foot. The shock of the blow was enough to cause the fallen angel to reel back and momentarily slacken her grip on Saito's neck, allowing him to take in a much needed breath, but not enough to force her to release him.

"Why you!" Raynare snarled the moment her broken jaw was healed as she slammed Saito against the concrete wall behind the cross.

Saito felt the stone wall hit him hard – or rather, he himself hit the wall hard – and he began to see bright spots in his vision, made all the more noticeable by the darkening of his vision around the edges. As more and more of his vision began to go dark from the lack of air, Saito saw something red.

"Let go of him!" Issei shouted as his gauntlet-covered fist smashed against the side of Raynare's head.

Saito felt both his neck and his sword be released, and he dropped to the ground on his butt as Issei's attack sent Raynare flying off to the side with a surprised yelp.

"Thanks," Saito managed to grunt as he rubbed his neck and winced.

"No problem," Issei said as he held out his normal hand.

Saito took it and Issei pulled him back up to his feet. Saito took a quick look around the battlefield. Kiba and Koneko were still fighting with the remnants of the remaining exorcists, who seemed to have learned from the deaths of their comrades, in terms of strategy. For Kiba, the exorcists maintained a tight formation in order to prevent the fleet-footed Kiba from picking them off one by one. Making heavy usage of their guns, the exorcists were able to force Kiba to keep his distance. For Koneko, they took an opposite strategy. Instead of a tight formation, they maintained a loose ring around the short girl, making certain that she remained at its center. Whenever she tried to close the gap against one part of the cordon, they would immediately retreat backwards. Like with Kiba, they rained down a constant hail of bullets of light on Koneko, who, unlike Kiba, simply accepted the attacks. Saito knew that the little girl had an unbelievable durability – evidenced by how the light bullets continued to bounce off of her – but it was possible that even she had a limit. Sooner or later, the exorcists would manage to wear her down.

Meanwhile, Raynare, who had crashed into the farthest wall, slowly rose to her feet, a green light emanating from where she had received whatever injuries she had suffered from Issei's attack. Her jet-black wings flapped once, and then she rose up into the air in a motion as fluid and graceful as it was serene. The fallen angel began flying back towards Saito and Issei, though her body did not even move as it did. Instead, it was as if she was standing in midair as the gap between her and them simply shrunk.

"Hyoudou-san," Saito said quietly. "On my signal, go help your friends. We need their help. I'll hold Raynare off."

"Are you sure?" Issei said. "I mean, will you be all right by yourself?"

"Yeah," Saito replied. "I'll be fine. That bitch isn't trying to kill me. She wants me alive, so she's going to be holding back. I can take advantage of that."

"I got it."

Raynare arrived, floating just high enough so that she could very clearly and literally look down on them.

"Well," she said almost teasingly. "I'll give you this much: that wasn't a half bad attack for a low-class devil like you."

Instead of replying to her, Issei bolted towards Kiba and Koneko once Saito suddenly shouted, "Hyoudou! Go!"

At the same time, Saito jumped straight for Raynare, catching her by surprise as Saito managed to stab Derflinger through her stomach, causing the blade to pierce out of her back. Then, while hanging from the sword hilt with both hands, Saito forcibly pulled the sword downward, using his strength plus the natural force of gravity to cause the sword to slowly begin to cut Raynare in twain from the belly down, as if she was being sawed in half.

Raynare screamed with pain, and Saito felt a vicious sense of satisfaction wash over him at that. In response, Raynare formed a spear of light in her hand and raised it in order to stab down on Saito's hands. Saito immediately released Derflinger and dropped four feet to the ground. Taking out an exorcism gun from his pocket, Saito began firing at Raynare. Raynare snarled as she pulled Derflinger free from her body and tossed it aside, simply ignoring the bullets of light as she did so, much like Koneko.

Saito dove off of the altar for Derflinger, and caught it by the hilt as it fell. By rolling on the ground the moment he made contact with it, Saito was able to dissipate most of the kinetic force of the dive harmlessly.

With Derflinger once more in hand, Saito faced Raynare, who now had a very angry look on her face.

"You inferior worm!" Raynare cursed even as the sword wound in her stomach healed. "How dare you hurt me?"

"Shut up!" Saito snapped back. "I am not an inferior being, nor am I a worm. Neither is Asia. We are human beings, and we possess our own will and desires. Just because you are a fallen angel doesn't mean you get to treat our lives like your toys. How dare I hurt you? Don't give me that shit! How dare _you_ rob Asia of her _life_ just so you could steal her Sacred Gear_,_ you thieving, murderous bitch. If you think you can get away with that just because we're human and you're not, then you're fucking delusional. Make no mistake: for murdering Asia, I. Will. Kill. You."

"Oh really?" Raynare narrowed her eyes. "You know, I was just going to knock you unconscious, but now I think I'll have to make you suffer first. I can always just heal you with Twilight Healing afterward, before I hand you over to Lord Azazel."

A spear of light incomparably larger than any of the others Saito had seen Raynare create formed in her hands. It shined brightly, though its brilliance felt sinister to Saito.

"Derf," Saito whispered quietly. "Can you absorb that?"

"I think so," the sword replied.

"I think so isn't good enough," Saito said urgently as Raynare brought an arm into a throwing position, the spear of light floating inches above that arm's hand. "Can you or can't you?"

"I can, I can," Derflinger responded quickly.

"Good," Saito said. "Let's go."

Saito blurred as he bolted to the side, dashing up the stairs of the altar at top speed. His plan was as simple as it was obvious. Like before, Saito planned to jump and stab Raynare. Judging from the smirk on Raynare's face and the way she was already adjusting her aim to launch her spear towards the top of the altar, Saito knew that she knew his plan, too.

What she didn't know about, and what Saito was gambling everything on, was his trusted blade's ability to devour magic. After all, even though he had demonstrated the ability while fighting with the exorcists, Raynare had been too busy focusing on murdering Asia to take notice. At least, Saito hoped that was the case.

Saito reached the top of the sacrificial altar. He stopped, turned, took a running start, and then jumped. Saito fairly flew through the air, Derflinger held at his side as the blade trailed behind him. As if in slow motion, Saito watched as Raynare threw her spear of light, its bright luminescence almost blinding from such a close distance.

Derflinger was raised up in front of Saito, aimed straight for the approaching spear, and then the two met. Saito grinned viciously as Raynare's sneer transformed into a look of shock when her spear of light rapidly unraveled and disappeared, absorbed into the sentient blade.

Saito crashed into Raynare bodily, and the two tumbled in the air. In order to prevent himself from falling, Saito wrapped one arm around Raynare's neck, looking to the outside observer as if they were lovers in sweet embrace. With his other hand, Saito stabbed Derflinger into Raynare, straight into her flank.

Raynare screamed so loudly that Saito wasn't sure if she was simply screaming in pain or trying to use her voice as a sonic weapon in order to rupture his eardrums. She struggled and scratched and pulled and kicked anywhere and everywhere she could reach in order to pry Saito off of her. But Saito was adamant. He kept his head tucked down and buried in the pocket between Raynare's head and shoulder, while keeping his arm tightly wrapped around Raynare, making certain to keep them as close together as possible. With his other hand, Saito repeatedly twisted and pulled and pushed Derflinger inside the Raynare's wound, causing even more intense pain, breaking her concentration whenever she attempted to form one of her spears of light.

Saito grimaced at the wails of suffering that came from Raynare's lips. Right now, what he was doing was no longer an attack – it was torture. This wound alone would not kill Raynare, especially not with her possessing Twilight Healing. It would only cause her intense pain. Lots of it.

It was Raynare's fault, Saito supposed. If she hadn't let slip that despite being able to heal the wounds, she could still feel pain, then Saito would not have had to resort to using pure pain in order to restrain her as he bought time for Issei to help his comrades and reinforce Saito.

From the corner of his eye, Saito saw Raynare form a small, dagger-sized spear of light in order to stab his back. Saito quickly released Derflinger, feeling the power boost of the Gandalfr's runes vanish with it, and immediately jabbed his fingers into Raynare's eyes. She screamed, the spear of light dispersing harmlessly as her concentration was broken by the sudden and fresh pain.

While she remained stunned, Saito quickly pulled Derflinger out of Raynare's body in a torrent of blood. Then, while Raynare focused on healing the damage to her body and eyes, Saito brought the pommel of Derflinger's hilt down on Raynare's face, repeatedly, like a crude club.

"Fall, damn you! Fall!" Saito shouted as he strove to bring Raynare down to the ground.

"ENOUGH!" Raynare shouted, though it sounded more like "enubb" given that Saito had broken her nose, causing it to bleed freely.

Saito felt a hard fist rock against his temple, dazing him, and then a flash of burning pain at his side, which caused him to shout in pain and accidentally drop Derflinger to the ground. The sword landed with a clattering sound of steel against stone.

"Argh!" Saito yelled. Glancing down, Saito saw Raynare's hand holding the handle of a fairly large dagger of light, it's blade buried completely into his guts.

"Inferior worm!" Raynare hissed as she twisted the dagger inside of him, eliciting further shouts of pain from Saito. "How dare you? How _dare_ you!?"

"Shut. Up." Saito growled as he headbutted Raynare's face.

With a snarl, Raynare ripped the dagger from Saito's body roughly. Then, Raynare grabbed Saito by the back of his collar and pried him off of her. Though Saito did his best to maintain his bear hug, without the Gandalfr's runes strengthening him, he was just a normal human, and therefore had no chance of winning in a battle of raw strength against an inhuman being, even against one as delicate looking as Raynare.

Once Raynare had Saito at an arm's-length, she tossed him aside like garbage, and Saito fell freely from the air to the cold, unforgiving stone floor.

However, instead of meeting with the ground, Saito felt himself be caught by two, infinitely more softer than concrete, arms.

"... Toujou-san?" Saito murmured, looking at the expressionless face of the one who had caught him.

"Hiraga-san!" Issei called out urgently as he rushed over to Saito's side. "Are you all right?"

"Boost!" his gauntlet announced.

"Fine, fine," Saito said, shooing Issei away with one hand. "Toujou-san, can you let me go?"

The white-haired girl nodded, and then suddenly dropped Saito. He landed on his butt, causing his wound to flare up in pain.

"Argh!" Saito yelped.

"Koneko-chan! You can't just drop him like that!" Issei admonished.

"... Sorry," she said monotonously.

"Boost!"

"Forget about me," Saito said as he forced himself to his feet. "What about Raynare?"

"Over there," Issei said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

Saito looked to where Issei was pointing and saw that Kiba was fighting with Raynare alone. Or more accurately, he was just dodging while Raynare hurled down spear after spear at him from the air. To Saito's displeasure, it appeared that Raynare was healed completely of all the damage he had managed to inflict upon her.

"Boost!"

"This is tough," Saito said. "Anything we do to her, she just heals it away. All we can do is just make her feel pain. What we need is a really powerful attack – one that can either kill her or knock her unconscious in a single blow, instantly, before she can heal herself." Saito looked at Issei and Koneko. "Either of you got something like that?"

"Boost!"

"And why does your gauntlet keep saying 'boost?'" Saito asked, frowning as he looked at Issei's red gauntlet. "Also, is it just me or did it change a little?"

"It's preparing for that really powerful attack," Issei said, eyes steely with determination. "I think I finally understand what my Sacred Gear does."

"Is that so?" Saito said as he made to go pick up Derflinger. "Then I'll go help distract her while you get ready."

"Boost!"

"No, Hiraga-san," Issei said, putting a hand on Saito's shoulder, stopping him. "You've done enough. You need to lie down and rest. You have a freaking hole in your side. You're gonna die if you keep moving."

Saito glanced down at the still bleeding hole in his body, and he grimaced. It was true. He had already lost a lot of blood, and he was starting to feel lightheaded and faint. Carefully, Saito took off his coat and wrapped it around his abdomen like a makeshift bandage. "You sure you'll be fine without me?" he finally asked.

"Boost!"

Issei nodded and gave a hard, resolute smile. "Positive."

"Explosion!"

"Koneko-chan," Issei said. "Can you throw me at her?" He pointed at Raynare.

Koneko nodded. With a casual ease that looked comical given the sheer size difference between the two, Koneko picked up Issei and held him over her head. "Ei," she uttered in a quiet, cute manner before sending Issei flying, literally.

"Raynaaare!" Issei shouted as he soared through the air. The fallen angel looked up, and her eyes widened with surprise at seeing the boy flying towards her. She quickly recovered from the shock, however, and she hurled a spear of light at him. But instead of skewering him in midair like Raynare expected, Issei simply slapped the spear out of the air with his gauntlet. Before the fallen angel could attack again, Issei was upon her. "Fly away, you shitty angel!"

Issei punched Raynare with his gauntlet-covered arm. It was a simple punch, but it was a punch like that of no other Saito had ever seen before.

When Issei's metallic fist made contact with Raynare, it was as if she had been turned into a human – er, fallen angel – cannonball. Metal met flesh like an explosion, causing the fallen angel to fly so fast into the ground that Saito, in his non-Gandalfr-empowered state, was unable to even catch sight of Raynare, save for a dark blur. She landed in the concrete floor with a thunderous boom, and when the dust settled, Saito could see that Raynare laid in the center of a large crater, her body twisted, broken, and her mind unconscious.

If it had been left at just that, Saito could have said that was one of the coolest things he had ever seen before. But when Issei fell from the air, it was to an awaiting Kiba who tried to catch him like Koneko did to Saito. Whether because he underestimated Issei's weight or because he did not have Koenko's brute strength, or both, they ended up falling into a gangly, awkward sprawl on top of each other.

Saito let out a breath of relief and collapsed to the ground. He felt weak. Cold sweat had begun to form on his brow, as well. His hands trembled, his vision starting to become blurry and unfocused. He had lost too much blood.

"Hiraga-san," Issei said breathlessly as he approached. "We did it. We won."

Saito smiled weakly, but bitterly. "No, Hyoudou-san. We lost."

"What?" Issei cocked his head. "But we beat Raynare!"

"And we allowed Asia to die," Saito reminded him as gently as he could, but with his loss of blood, his mind was feeling foggy, so his words came out more harshly than he had intended.

"Oh yeah," Issei murmured softly. "Yeah... You're right. We did lose."

"Don't be so certain about that."

Everyone looked to the new voice coming from the stairwell.

"Buchou?" Issei said in surprise as the redheaded woman entered the underground room, followed by the black-haired girl, who was carrying Asia in her arms.

"Geez, you guys sure went wild here," the redhead remarked as she looked around at the number of casualties and damage. When she spotted Saito, she blinked in surprise. "Oh my, what are you doing here?" She frowned. "Those are some terrible wounds you have there."

"Hiraga-san helped us," Issei answered quickly. "More importantly, what are you doing here? And what did you mean by that?"

"Ise. Do you know what this is?" the redhead said as she pulled out a...

_Is that a chess piece?_ Saito thought incredulously, completely bewildered.

"That's... a bishop, isn't it?" Ise cocked his head. Then, his eyes widened in understanding. "Buchou! That's a Bishop piece!"

_Well, duh,_ Saito thought. _You already said that._

"You understand," the redhead smiled as she carefully spun the crimson chess piece in between her fingers. Saito started to feel that there was something going on that he didn't quite understand. "With this Bishop piece, I can resurrect this girl as one of us."

Saito's eyes widened at the redhead's words. He opened his mouth to try to say something, but found that no words were coming out of his lips.

"Buchou," Issei said in a mesmerized shock. "Are you... Are you serious? You can save Asia?"

"Yes," the redhead answered. "But before that" - she looked towards Raynare - "we need to put Asia's Sacred Gear back inside of her. Akeno. Wake her."

"Yes, Buchou," the black-haired girl said cheerfully. She carefully laid Asia on the ground. Then she walked over to the unconscious fallen angel and dragged her by the arm over to the others, before creating water out of thin air and dumping it on Raynare's face.

Raynare coughed as her eyes snapped open, and she looked around wildly. Even as she did, her stolen Twilight Healing began healing her body of its injuries.

"Greetings, Fallen Angel Raynare," the redhead said with polite decorum. "I am Rias Gremory, heir to House Gremory. How do you do?"

Raynare glared at Rias, but said nothing.

"Well, if you do not wish to speak, then I'll get right to the point," Rias said. "Return Asia Argento's Sacred Gear."

Raynare sneered. "If you think that you can make demands of me, think again. My comrades will be here soon, and then we'll-"

"Fallen Angels Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, and Mittelt are all dead," Rias cut Raynare off coldly.

Raynare's eyes went wide. "You lie!"

Rias smirked as she pulled out three black feathers of slightly different hues. "Recognize these?"

Raynare breathed in sharply. While the devils' attention remained affixed on the fallen angel, Saito slowly stood up and began half-walking, half-stumbling over to where Derflinger lay.

"When I met Fallen Angel Dohnaseek when he attacked Ise," Rias said, "I knew that the fallen angels were planning something in this city. I had thought that it was something that involved all of Grigori, so I had intended to steer clear of this matter. But after I, ah, _interviewed_ those three comrades of yours, they spilled everything about you and your plot. You're acting without Grigori's permission, aren't you, Fallen Angel Raynare?" The final words came out cold and harsh.

Raynare ground her teeth in frustration, but said nothing.

"Now then," Rias said cheerfully. "Why don't you just go ahead and return Twilight Healing to its rightful owner, hm?"

"There's no way I can give it up now!" Raynare snapped. "Not when I've come so far!"

"Really?" Rias said with mock surprise. "I suppose that simplifies things a great deal, then. I'll just kill you and take it back by force."

Raynare's eyes widened as an enormous black sphere formed in Rias's hands, promising only death and absolute destruction to all things unfortunate enough to stand in its way.

Saito stood in its way.

The devils stared at Saito in surprise. Rias blinked as the sphere slowly died down and disappeared. "What are you doing?"

"... I just want to... make sure about something," Saito struggled to speak. His vision felt as though it was swimming, and he felt so lightheaded and dizzy that he felt that taking even another step would cause him to fall and sleep forevermore. But still, Saito forced himself to remain standing and to remain conscious. He spoke again. "You said that if... if Raynare returns the Sacred Gear, then Asia can live again?"

"Yes," Rias said slowly, nodding. "That is indeed what I said."

Saito nodded. He turned to face Raynare and pointed Derflinger at her. "Raynare. I hate you. You killed Asia. I wanted to kill you to avenge her. But now she can come back to life. And you... You saved my life. I don't know why you did, I know it wasn't for anything good, but still... you saved my life. For that, I owe you a debt. Return Asia's Sacred Gear so that she can return to life. If you do, I swear to use my life to protect you as you escape. Even if my body breaks down and my mind gives way, I'll protect you. Don't, and you die."

"Hiraga-san!" Issei cried out. "What are you saying?"

"Exactly what I said," Saito said, doing his best to keep from showing his wobbling legs and trembling arms.

"But she did so many awful things!" Issei protested.

"I know," Saito answered. "But I owe her my life. If it wasn't for her, I would already be dead." Saito stared at Raynare penetratingly – or at least, as penetratingly as he could given that he could no longer even distinguish Raynare's facial features properly. "Now. Make your choice."

"... I understand," Raynare finally said.

Despite his blurry vision, Saito noticed something pale green rise up from Raynare's chest. It floated like a butterfly back towards Asia, hovering gently over her bosom. Carefully, Rias pushed it back into Asia. Then, she took something small and red – the bishop piece, Saito assumed – and laid it on Asia's chest.

"In my name, Rias Gremory, I order you, Asia Argento, to arise. I resurrect you back unto this base earth. You will be reborn as a devil, my servant. You, my Bishop, be delighted with your new life!"

A crimson light flashed from the bishop piece laid on top of Asia, and then it too was absorbed into her body.

"Hyoudou-san," Saito found himself whispering his words. "Is she all right? Is Asia alive?"

Issei knelt down beside Asia for a moment. Then, joyfully, he sobbed, "She's breathing. She's alive, Hiraga-san. Asia is alive. Asia. Asia. Wake up, Asia."

"Leave her be, Ise," Rias said. "She's just come back from the dead. She won't wake up until tomorrow, probably."

"But she'll be okay, right?" Issei said cautiously.

"Of course!" Rias said with a hint of pride. "Don't you worry, Ise. Right now she's just sleeping. When she wakes up, she'll be all right."

Saito slowly turned to look at Raynare, who seemed to be staring at him for some reason, though he was too dizzy, his vision too blurry, to be able to properly ascertain that. "Go. Leave. My debt to you is paid. Never show yourself before me again. If you do, I swear I will kill you."

Raynare said nothing as her black wings wrapped around herself. There was a distortion of space, and then she vanished.

Once she was gone, Saito promptly collapsed to the ground, sword clattering out of his hand, the blood from the hole in his guts oozing through his coat-bandage.

"Hiraga-san!" Saito heard Issei shout.

Slowly, Saito allowed his heavy eyelids to droop shut, allowing the call of a never ending sleep to beckon him into its sweet embrace.

He was tired. So very tired.

He was tired of being lied to. He was tired of being used. And above all, he was tired of being manipulated.

No more. Now he just wanted to sleep and rest.

**-Scene Break-**

"_In the name of the Five Pentagonal Powers, bless this humble being and make him my familiar."_

_The short, pink-haired girl grabbed Saito's head in between her hands, and despite his protests, she leaned in and kissed him. It was a rough, clumsy kiss, and not at all welcome. True, the girl kissing him was cute, but Saito did not know who this girl was. While there were many guys who would oftentimes fantasize about being so pleasantly assaulted by a cute girl, the truth of the matter was that in reality, being kissed by a total stranger was not something pleasant. Rather, it was a rude and unwanted invasion of privacy. At least, to Saito it was._

"_What are you doing?" Saito demanded as he forcibly separated the two of them. _

_The response was pain. The first pain. It spread like burning hot fire from inside of him, causing Saito to fall to the ground, writhing and screaming. It felt as if his blood was boiling in his veins, his flesh and bone being cooked, and his organs melting from the inside out. Saito cried out as he heard laughter coming from all around him. A high-pitched voice, irate, argued back against them. Desperately, Saito searched for something or someone that could give him relief from the fire within him._

_But there was nothing but pain for Saito. _

_He rolled on the grass clutching at his left hand, where the unbearable heat was at its worst. The heat was such that Saito desperately wondered if cutting off his hand would be preferable to enduring this. Through the haze of fiery pain, Saito saw with horror as there, on the back of his left hand, strange characters began carving themselves into his flesh, and it felt as though it was being done by a searing hot knife._

_When it finally, mercifully, stopped, when the pain faded away, Saito lay supine on the cool grass gasping for breath, his sweat pouring down in rivulets. _

_What the hell was that? Saito wondered. What had the girl done to him? Where was he? Who were they all?_

_Saito watched tiredly from where he lay as a tall, middle-aged man with a balding head said a few words to the pink-haired girl, then to the rest of the people there – all of them roughly around Saito's age. _

_To Saito's shock, they began floating up into the air as they flew away. _

_All of them except for the short, pink-haired girl. _

_She stomped over to Saito. Saito got back to his feet and faced the girl. _

"_Who are you?" Saito immediately demanded. _

"_I am Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere, dog," the pink-haired girl snapped. "And I am your master."_

**-Scene Break-**

Saito awoke with a start, his face slick and wet with a thin sheen of sweat. Slowly, he touched his forehead with one hand and looked at it.

_I... I'm alive?_ Saito wondered as he clenched his hand into a fist for a moment before releasing it.

"Are you all right? You seemed to be having a nightmare."

Saito turned to see Rias Gremory sitting behind a fancy oaken desk as she closed the book she was reading and set it down on the table. Saito looked around the room he was in. The entire room was very dimly lit. Only a single candle set on Rias's desk and the dim moonlight shining in through the windows provided any lighting. Yet, though he should not have been able to, Saito found himself able to see perfectly clearly despite the darkness and poor lighting. He was sitting on a large leather couch. Derflinger lay in his sheathe on the coffee table in front of him. The room itself was richly decorated, with luxurious red carpets, extravagant bookcases filled to its maximum, a few sculptures, and paintings on the wall. Saito was honestly surprised that instead of a chandelier, the room used normal fluorescent lighting, which were turned off.

"Where am I?" Saito asked.

"You're in the Occult Research Club of Kuoh Academy," Rias said. "The others have already gone home for the day."

"The others?"

"You've met them already," Rias said. "Ise, Yuuto, Koneko, Akeno, and Asia."

_Oh, yeah... The devils,_ Saito thought as he recalled the events prior to having fallen unconscious. "How am I still alive?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, don't you?" Rias said with some amusement.

"I..." Saito paused. "You resurrected me, like you did with Asia," Saito declared.

"Indeed," Rias said. "After Raynare fled, you fell unconscious due to severe loss of blood. You were already in very real danger of dying. Since Asia was still in her coma at the time, she was not available to use Twilight Healing on you. So I used my eighth and last Pawn piece to save your life. And now you are a member of my Peerage."

"Your... Peerage?" Saito cocked his head. "What is that supposed to mean."

"First, allow me to explain to you a bit about the past. It will make things much less confusing for you in the long run," Rias said. Saito nodded, prompting Rias to continue. "You see, for a very long time now, the forces of heaven and hell have been warring with each other. It was God and his angels against the fallen angels against the Satans and the devils. A three-way war. It was brutal and caused a tremendous amount of casualties on all sides. It was especially hard on us devils. The loss of life was so great that extinction was a very real possibility. Eventually, the three forces reached a sort of armistice. During this time, in order to preserve our species, a new system based on the human game of chess was formed. It is called the Evil Pieces system. With it, we are able to resurrect other species as devils, thereby helping to repopulate and strengthen our species."

"Sounds pretty convenient," Saito remarked with a thoughtful frown.

"Quite," Rias agreed. "Now, every high-class devil is given a set of Evil Pieces – eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, and one queen, just like in regular chess. Those who are resurrected by these Evil Pieces become a member of their Peerage."

"In other words...?" Saito said.

"In other words," Rias said, smiling. "Like in chess, they become subordinate devils to the King."

Saito quietly sucked in a breath and felt his body tense.

"You are my second and last Pawn, Hiraga Saito," Rias said, still smiling, unaware of Saito's physical reaction. "You are my servant, and I am your King. I am your master."

At that moment, Saito had never hated anyone on Earth more fiercely than he did Rias Gremory.


	2. The Rating Games: Vs Phenex

_Saito breathed softly as he looked up at the ceiling from the bed he laid in._

_For the first time since he had been summoned to Halkeginia, everything was clear. _

… _No. Perhaps that wasn't entirely true. Rather, up until now it had been as if he had been lost in a thick fog without knowing it; without even being able to recognize the existence of the fog. But now... Now he at least knew. Now he knew that the fog was there. _

_He knew now that he had been lost._

_Up until this point, all of his thoughts, his actions, his hopes, his desires had been controlled and influenced from the very start. All of them had been total lies. All of them had been artificially manufactured. And the greatest lie of them all had been his love for Louise._

_It was so obvious in retrospect. How could anyone possibly fall in love with a girl like Louise Valliere? She was a tormentor that had whipped, abused, humiliated, and literally tortured him in every sense of the word. It was impossible that he could have truly fallen in love with someone like her._

_He had been deceived, and very badly so. And he understood just who, or rather, _what_ had been the deceiver: the familiar's runes branded on the back of his left hand. _

_Saito felt like laughing and crying in joy. It was as if he had finally woken up from a long, terrible nightmare in which his body moved and acted without and oftentimes against his own will. For the same reason, he wanted to shout and howl with anger, and break anything that he could get his hands on in order to vent his fury. _

_His relationship with Louise was one built from a foundation of falsities, Saito realized. For that, he could never trust Louise again. _

_At the same time, in some back corner of his mind, Saito thought about how he was perhaps being unfair to Louise. After all, hadn't she at least improved her temperament and behavior since the early days? In point of fact, hadn't it been Louise herself that had arranged for Tiffania to erase the compulsions of the familiar's runes from his mind after learning that the runes held such a power? But then Saito wondered if that thought itself was a direct result of the runes' control on his mind. What if the runes were subtly attempting to reassert control over him even as he simply laid there, thinking? Or what if it was due to some remnants of the runes' control? It had proven once before, after his last stand against the army at Saxe-Gotha, that the runes' compulsions would remain even after its disappearance. That had, after all, been the reason why he had willingly accepted becoming Louise's familiar again._

_True, Tiffania's spell seemed to have wiped away its compulsions and control, but who was to say that it had been completely successful? What if Tiffania, who had never had any formal magical training whatsoever, had not actually managed to erase all of the runes' compulsory power? The possibility was too real. _

_No, Saito decided. Whether or not it was her fault, it did not matter. He could never trust Louise again. Not even his own thoughts about Louise could be trusted. _

_And if, then, his love for Louise had been a lie, if all of his thoughts and deeds devoted to her had been manufactured by the runes, how far had the runes' control over him truly extended? Was it possible that the runes had made him behave or react differently than how he would have normally? _

_Saito knew the answer to that question._

_It most certainly did._

_In regards to the nobles, the runes had very probably made Saito more forgiving of their transgressions. Guiche, for example. Because of his stupidity and arrogance, Saito had very nearly been beaten to death. It was only because Guiche had foolishly decided to mock him by giving him a sword that Saito managed to avoid such a fate. Such things were not easily forgotten or forgiven. However, the belief of the nobility was that whatever harm a noble commits to a commoner was completely justifiable. It was up to the noble in question to determine how far he or she was willing to go. And Louise was a noble. She no doubt had believed in that same notion wholeheartedly. _

_Thus, because Louise believed it, the runes had likely made Saito believe it as well. He was her familiar, after all, and a familiar who held contrasting beliefs to their master, who disagreed with their master, would make for a poor slave indeed._

_Then there were its effects in his relations to commoners. To women, in particular. Siesta, especially._

_To them – to Siesta – the runes had done the opposite of what it had facilitated in regards to the nobles: it had distanced him from other women._

_Siesta was a very kind and very lovely girl. If she had been born on Earth, her kindness and beauty would have made her one of the most, if not the most, popular girl wherever she went and whatever she chose to do, of this Saito had no doubt. And in this cesspool of torment that these primitive barbarians called Halkeginia, Siesta had been the one oasis of kindness from the very start. _

_When Saito was being starved as part of his disciplining, she had fed him. _

_When he lay broken and bleeding from the cruel lashes of the whip, she had cleaned and dressed his wounds. _

_And when he was forced to be a subhuman thing by Louise and other nobles, when they had very nearly crushed his will and spirit and made him believe that he was, indeed, less than human, she had comforted him. She had treated him like a human when no one else would. _

_If not for Siesta, Saito knew that he probably would have long since become a broken and miserable man. No. He would have become a broken and miserable animal. A slave. _

_Had it not been for the runes, Saito would have very probably fallen in love with Siesta long ago. He knew that. The runes knew that. So in order to keep him bound to Louise, the runes had made Saito unable to reciprocate the love Siesta held for him, or to anyone else for that matter, even after she had tried to tempt him several times before._

_Saito paused in the midst of his thoughts to chuckle over the strangeness over using the word "temptress" to describe Siesta. Somehow, the thought of the kind, affable Siesta being labeled as a temptress was so strange and alien and almost contradictory that it was actually funny. Though, given that her cousin was _that_ Jessica of the Charming Fairies Inn, Saito supposed it wasn't too much of a stretch._

_Slowly, Saito pushed himself up into a sitting position._

_Finally. He was finally free. If not completely, at the very least enough so that he once again had free will. And with the runes' power over him gone or weakened, Saito remembered. He remembered his family. He remembered his friends. He remembered his home. _

_His home._

_Tears began flowing as all the sweet memories of his home hit Saito in full force. The sweetness of those memories and the pain of longing, of homesickness, that they elicited was made all the more sweeter, all the more painful, by his experiences in Halkeginia. _

_It wasn't fair. Though those words were almost childish, it was still the first thing Saito thought. It wasn't fair. _

_All this time, he should have been searching for a way to return home. Not subjecting himself to the cruel games of a sadistic pint-sized brat or the machinations of kings and queens. He never wanted this. He never wanted any of this. But because of the runes, he had been unable to even consider returning home. They bound his mind and will in servitude. In slavery._

_Saito wiped the tears from his eyes; his expression turned resolute. _

_There was no use complaining about what had already happened. Now was the time to begin planning for the future. _His_ future. He was now, for the first time in a long time, free to truly act according to his own will. He needed to begin searching for clues of how to return home. He also needed to thank Siesta for everything she had done for him, for being a refuge for his soul all this time. Tiffania, too. He owed Tiffania more than he could ever possibly repay her. Not only had she saved his life by literally bringing him back from the dead, he now also owed her for freeing him from the bondage of the runes. _

_Now he moved by his own will, Saito thought fiercely. And he would never allow himself to be fettered by the shackles of servitude ever again._

**-Scene Break-**

"Akeno," Rias said as she reclined on her comfy armchair inside of the Occult Research clubroom.

To the normal human students of Kuoh Academy, the Occult Research Club was merely a strange club in which some of the most popular students in the school were a part of. In actuality, however, it was a sort of base of operations for Rias's peerage. To put it crassly, it was a den of devils. Presently, Rias and Akeno were the only ones there, having come to school an hour before classes actually began.

"Yes, Buchou?" the Queen replied, calling her by the Japanese word for "Club President."

"Has Saito's and Asia's transcripts been transferred here yet?" Rias asked.

"Yes, Buchou," Akeno answered. "Everything has been taken care of. They'll be starting school today, in fact."

"Good," Rias said, pleased.

It had been a few days since Saito and Asia had been resurrected as Rias's second and last Pawn and Bishop, respectively. Rias was very pleased with the addition of Asia to her Peerage. Disregarding her tactical advantage – her Twilight Healing would be immensely useful to have on her side – Asia herself was like an adorable, lovable little sister.

As for Saito, though he only took one Pawn Piece to resurrect, Rias still had great hopes for him. Both Issei and Yuuto had been very impressed with Saito's combat abilities, after all. Through their explanation (well, perhaps not Issei's, Rias thought. He hadn't been very objective and made use of hyperbole far too freely), Rias had learned that Saito had exceptional abilities. Despite having been a normal human, his speed had been on par with that of a Knight's and his skill with the blade was such that even Yuuto admitted it likely exceeded that of his own. Such prowess would no doubt be useful once Rias finally began participating in the Rating Games.

To be honest, Rias was skeptical of Yuuto. She could believe that a normal human being could be more skilled with the blade than Yuuto, but being as fast as a Knight, without a Sacred Gear? That sounded ludicrous, even to her. The only time she had actually seen Saito actually fight was when he launched that one surprise attack against Freed Sellzen, which, while fast, had not been something particularly noteworthy for a devil; it had been a speed within the upper limits of human capability. Though to be fair, that one attack had been more about matching Freed's timing rather than simply moving quickly.

She would just have to see what he was fully capable of for herself sometime, in the near future, Rias thought as she sipped a cup of tea that Akeno handed her.

Rias felt a twinge of annoyance pass through her. When it came to her Peerage, she much preferred taking care of matters herself instead of delegating the task to someone else, even if it was her most trusted friend and confidant, Himejima Akeno. Had it not been for her current ongoing argument with her parents about her impending marriage to that sleaze, Riser Phoenix, who only happened to be her fiance due to her family's meddling, she would have taken care of Saito's and Asia's transfer to Kuoh Academy, personally.

The conflict was simple. Rias did not want to marry that perverted creep (perverted in a bad way, not at all like her own cute, perverted Pawn, Issei). Both of her parents wanted her to do just that as soon as possible.

With such a matter, it was impossible to make any sort of real compromise. Rias had been able to buy time back when they first started having these arguments, delaying the marriage until after her graduation from a human university. Though that gave her some time to come up with plans and schemes, it was not a solution in and of itself. More, her parents were now trying to back out of that agreement by insisting that she marry Riser now, not later.

Rias sighed deeply as she rubbed her forehead from the stress.

In the end, she and her parents had temporarily ceased discussion of the matter after parting with several heated words and some shouting.

"Rias?" Akeno said. Despite herself, Rias smiled upon being called by name. Akeno only ever used Rias's given name when the two of them were alone together. It was always a comforting feeling, as if Akeno was saying that no matter what, she would always be there for her. "Is something the matter?"

"Family matters," Rias said, aggrieved. "My parents want me to hurry up and marry Riser Phoenix."

"That scum?" Akeno said, clearly disgusted.

"Yes," Rias nodded solemnly. "But never mind that. I'll take care of it somehow."

Akeno frowned, but nodded compliantly.

"In any case, Saito and Asia are going to be second year students, right?" Rias said, deciding to change topics, if only to keep her own temper from flaring as she brooded over the problem of her marriage. "I hope that they're in either Ise's or Yuuto's class. That would be nice, I think."

"Asia-chan is in Ise-kun's class," Akeno said. "But Saito-kun won't be able to be in either of their classes."

Rias frowned. Akeno sounded like she knew something about her Peerage that Rias didn't. Rias hated it when someone, even if it was her closest friend, knew something about her Peerage that she didn't. "What do you mean?"

Akeno set down her own cup of tea on the coffee table from where she sat on the club room's sofa. "It appears that he was held back a year. He's entering as a first year, in Koneko-chan's class."

"What?" Rias's frown deepened, causing creases to appear on her brow. "Why? What happened? Were his grades too poor?"

"No. His grades were fine. It's just... Hold on a moment." Akeno took her schoolbag, which was also laying on the coffee table before her, and rifled through it for a moment, causing Rias to raise an eyebrow in confusion. Finally, Akeno withdrew a carefully folded piece of paper. She stood up and walked over to Rias, handing her that paper. "I found this while I was taking care of Saito-kun's transfer."

Rias accepted the paper, her frown having increased to dangerous levels at the sudden mystery. She quickly unfolded the paper and looked at it. Printed on it was a colored photograph of Saito's face, though he looked different in this picture. The Saito on the paper looked younger, but not just from age. The Saito Rias had seen in real life always seemed to have a shadowed expression, the kind one had when they carried a heavy burden of the past. She had seen it three times before with Akeno, Koneko, and Yuuto, with Yuuto's having been the worst amongst those three. Furthermore, the current Saito's features were marred by lines of stress and battle-weary exhaustion, to a degree that gave Saito the impression of being many years older than he truly was. In this photo, Saito looked relaxed and carefree – the spitting image of what a boy his age should look like.

But it was the caption beneath the photo that caught Rias's eye.

_Hiraga Saito. Disappeared March 14, 2012. Please notify the police with any clues of his whereabouts._

"2012?" Rias murmured. "But that was a year ago." She looked up at Akeno. "Where did you get this?"

"I found it online on the missing child reports after I learned that Saito-kun has been missing for an entire year," Akeno said. "That's why he's been held back a grade. Nobody knows if he ran away or was kidnapped or who knows what else. One day, he simply vanished without a trace. Then, he reappeared just as suddenly amongst Fallen Angel Raynare's faction. But as we both already know from Asia-chan, he had been picked up by them only two days before he and Asia-chan joined your Peerage."

Rias pursed her lips. "People don't just disappear and reappear like that."

"No, they don't," Akeno agreed. "But I have been unable to find anything else. I've even tried poking around and asking some of his old classmates."

"And?"

"I found nothing," Akeno shrugged apologetically. "He contacted none of his friends or acquaintances before he vanished. Apparently, his last known appearance was at a local electronics store where he had his laptop fixed. After that... Nothing."

"I see," Rias murmured thoughtfully. Carefully, Rias folded the paper and placed it inside one of her desk's drawers. "Thank you, Akeno. I'll look into this matter personally. We should get going for now, though. Class will begin soon."

"Of course, Buchou."

**-Scene Break-**

Saito sat in the back corner of the classroom, where the only empty seat in the classroom had been left. The uniform of Kuoh Academy felt strange and unfamiliar to him after having gone so long without wearing school uniforms, but it felt comfortable nevertheless. The high quality of the set of clothes was actually very impressive for mere school uniforms. Fortunately, the collar of the shirt was high enough to adequately cover Saito's neck. Before he had received his uniform, Saito had been considering buying a simple scarf in order to hide his scar.

Leaning on the side of his desk was Derflinger, who was hidden away inside of a simple cotton case, the kind which many kendo and kenjutsu practitioners used for carrying their shinai or bokken – bamboo practice swords and wooden swords, respectively.

With a sigh, Saito felt his attention drifting away from the lecture the teacher was currently giving. After having missed a year of schooling and having been so far removed from academia, being much more concerned with simply surviving with sword in hand instead, Saito realized that he was so far behind the rest of his peers that he had no idea what the teacher was currently teaching.

He would have to find a tutor, Saito supposed. His parents would probably be all right with that.

Saito smiled slightly as he thought about his parents fondly.

After being resurrected by Rias Gremory as a devil, Saito had returned home. The reunion between him and his parents was one of many tears and celebration. His parents had cried, for their lost son had finally returned home. He had cried because he was finally back.

When his parents had finally been able to regain enough of their composure, they had asked him where he had been and what had happened to him. It stung Saito that he had had to... well, not _lie,_ per se, but he hid much of the truth from his parents. It wasn't as if he could simply tell them that he had been taken to another world where magic and monsters existed. They would think he was insane. They did not need that. Not after all the emotional suffering they had already gone through due to his disappearance. But not telling them anything would be equally as bad. After so long, they needed at least some closure. They were his parents and deserved to know what happened to their son, if only in part. So Saito told them a portion of the truth. He told them that he had been kidnapped from the middle of the streets and taken away to a foreign country, only recently managing to return to Japan. Then he told them that he would rather not speak of the matter again. His parents graciously allowed the issue to be dropped. They were happy just from the fact that Saito had returned.

Of course, that hadn't stopped them from going out and buying an expensive cell phone for him that had a GPS tracking device installed into it, specifically telling him to call them at least once a day to let them know where he was, who he was with, and when he would be returning home. It was enough to make Saito feel like a little kid all over again. It didn't bother him, though. Saito was grateful for his parents' concern.

Saito rested his chin against the palm of his left hand, which he wore a fingerless, tan-colored glove over in order to conceal the runes of the Gandalfr.

This was nice, he thought. Even if he had no idea what the teacher was talking about at this point (something about "cosines" and triangles or something), he could still enjoy the tranquil peace of everyday school life. He basked in it. In fact, for the first time in his life, Saito was actually looking forward to doing his homework, something that would have made him shudder in the past.

Just like that, time flew, and soon the last class of the day was over. A chorus of sliding chairs and the outbreak of chattering filled the classroom air in a pleasant buzz. From the many conversations that immediately sprouted up once the teacher had left, Saito could hear questions between friends of what they wanted to do now that class was over and if they wanted to go hang out somewhere. Answers came as either yes or no – mostly the latter due to club activities. Saito packed away his own books into his bag and prepared to leave.

As a new transfer student, Saito did not have any friends yet in the class to be able to have such conversations. And since Saito was not an overly exceptional looking guy – in fact, Saito himself would admit that he looked fairly plain, all things considered – the other students had only really afforded him a few curious glances, but not much else. The only unique thing about Saito was that he was carrying what the other students assumed to be a wooden sword in the cotton bag. In Japan, such a thing was hardly unique at all. There were many kendo and kenjutsu practitioners, so such a sight was ordinary, even mundane. On his way to school, Saito had seen at least a dozen other students carrying similar cotton cases. Though, since what Saito was carrying was a real sword, his bag was a little larger than theirs.

Saito shrugged casually as he stood up, slinging his bag around his shoulder and picking up Derflinger. He would probably be able to make some friends in time, Saito thought with a smile, once he acclimated to a peaceful and modern lifestyle again.

Before Saito could leave, a short white-haired girl walked over to him, garnering the attention of nearly everyone in the classroom.

"... Buchou wants us to meet in the clubroom," Koneko stated.

"Oh. I see," Saito said, his smile finally dropping; his expression turning serious. "All right. Let's go."

Without a word, Koneko turned on her heel and walked out of the classroom. The other students watched as she left, the look on their faces like that of someone who had seen a cute little kitten, necessitating them to say, "Awww..."

From what Saito had seen thus far, he was fairly certain that Koneko did not have any friends outside of the collection of devils to whom she belonged to. Yet, it seemed that she had many admirers nevertheless. As Saito followed Koneko to the Occult Research club room, Saito noticed that many of the other first year students in the hallways, particularly the males, were staring at Koneko conspicuously, with a hungry look on their faces, and they shot Saito a few jealous glares for walking beside her.

When they finally reached the Occult Research club room, Saito stepped forward and opened the door for Koneko, bowing slightly as he stood aside deferentially to let her pass. Koneko frowned as she stared quizzically at Saito.

_Ah, damn,_ Saito thought as he realized a moment later that one of his old habits from having to serve Louise had popped up without him even noticing it. Saito blamed it partially on the fact that Koneko and Louise both had very similar body types. When Koneko continued to stare at Saito, he shrugged at her. She tilted her head ever so slightly before she walked past him and into the room. Saito went in afterward and closed the door behind him.

Inside, the others were already gathered. Issei was lounging on a couch. Asia was sitting next to him. Kiba was there too, and Akeno was brewing some tea.

And sitting on her oaken office desk, Rias was there as well.

She beamed at him. "Hello, Saito."

Saito forced himself to smile back in response.

**-Scene Break-**

"How was your first day of school?" Rias asked her newest Pawn. "Have you gotten used to it yet?"

"It's going well, I guess. I'm thinking about getting myself a tutor," Saito answered casually as he set his schoolbag against the wall and took a seat on a couch, his sword in hand. "I'm a little too far behind everyone else, it seems."

"That won't be necessary," Rias said cheerfully. "I'll be more than happy to tutor you myself."

Saito paused momentarily. "Thank you, but that's okay," Saito said carefully. "I wouldn't want to bother you about something like that."

"Nonsense. It's no bother at all," Rias said, waving her hand in casual dismissal over Saito's worry. "Since you are now a part of my Peerage, it's only proper that I help take care of whatever problems you might have."

"Thank you," Saito said again. "But really, it's fine. For something like this, I'd rather take care of it on my own."

Rias frowned. She approved of independence amongst those of her Peerage, but she also wanted to show Saito that his King was someone he could rely on, even if it was for something relatively trivial.

Of all the members of her Peerage, Rias felt that her relationship with Saito was the most distant. Rias partly attributed this to the fact that prior to Saito's reincarnation, they had spoken only a few words to each other. However, since Asia, whom she hadn't spoken to at all when she was still human, was now fairly close to her, Rias also attributed the slowness of the development of trust between her and Saito as him being the type who took a longer time to bond with someone.

There was no need to rush, Rias supposed. It would be better to build a foundation of trust slowly and solidly in the long run, anyway.

"All right. If that's what you want," Rias said. "In any case, since you are now a devil, I think it's time I tell you and Asia-chan about a devil's job."

"Do I have to go steal the souls of the innocents?" Saito asked drily.

Rias giggled. "No. Devils stopped doing that a very long time ago. Long before we were born. Do you remember how I told you of the current state of we devils?"

Saito nodded. "You guys-" Saito paused, frowning. "_We,_" he corrected himself, "are an endangered species, so you use the Evil Pieces system to resurrect other species as devils. As slaves."

"Servants," Rias corrected him. "And yes, that is correct. Additionally, only high-class devils are allowed to have a Peerage, so only they can use Evil Pieces to reincarnate others. However, in order to help ensure the survival of our species, it's possible for even reincarnated devils to become a high-class devil as well." Rias smiled slyly. "In other words, you could become a King yourself one day."

"Oh. That's cool, I guess," Saito said, not looking remotely interested at what was considered by most reincarnated devils as a tantalizing offer – the highest possible reward. Saito's plain disinterest caused Rias to frown briefly. She shrugged it off, though, since it wasn't unheard for some reincarnated devils to not desire advancement at all, preferring instead to remain with their King. Akeno, Koneko, and Yuuto were amongst those kind of devils.

"In order to advance in rank, however," Rias continued, "you must accomplish deeds that make you worthy of it. Typically, this is done through one of three ways: successfully completing many contracts with humans, accomplishing some great military deed, or doing well in the Rating Games."

"The Rating Games?" Saito cocked his head.

"I'll explain that another time," Rias said. "Since I am not yet old enough to participate in the Rating Games, it's not very pertinent to us, yet."

Saito nodded as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "And since you told me before that there's currently an armistice between the three forces of devils, angels, and fallen angels, performing a military feat seems unlikely to happen. Then, that leaves only contracting, right?"

"Precisely," Rias said. "And that's what your main job as a devil will be. When a human who possesses one of these," Rias pulled out from her desk drawer a leaflet with a magic circle printed on it, "has a strong wish or desire, they will be able to call us forth through this. Your duty, then, is to listen to what the client wants, and then fulfill their wish and obtain their reward, thereby completing the contract."

"A deal with the devil, in other words," Saito mused. "Question, Gremory-senpai."

"Just call me Buchou," Rias said kindly.

"Buchou, then," Saito said, nodding once. "I'm not interested in becoming a high-class devil or in becoming a King. Is it still necessary for me to form those contracts?"

"Well, yes," Rias said slowly. "If not for your own sake, then at least for the sake of all those here. The more contracts you complete, the greater the prestige of my Peerage, which in turn benefits us all."

Saito nodded. "Fine. I understand."

"Why don't you want to become a King, though, Hiraga-san?" Issei piped up curiously. "Getting your own Peerage would be amazing!"

Saito turned to stare at Issei quizzically. "In what way?"

"You could make it into your very own harem!" Issei declared proudly. "That's my dream, you know. I'm gonna become a high-class devil and get myself my own harem!"

Akeno giggled with amusement at Issei's words. Yuuto sighed, but smiled slightly. Koneko was nibbling on a chocolate cookie, but paused long enough to say "... Ise-senpai is the worst," before continuing to work at her snack. Asia pouted with jealousy. Rias was nearly about to chuckle softly herself, but stopped upon noticing the look on Saito's face.

Saito glowered at his fellow Pawn with eyes so cold and harsh that Rias saw that Issei actually flinched underneath Saito's gaze. The rest of Rias's Peerage stopped what they were doing as well and frowned as they looked at Saito.

"I'm sorry," Saito said tersely. "I'm not sure I heard you properly, Hyoudou-san. Could you say that again?"

"Um... I, uh, want my own harem, and that's why I'm working to become a high-class devil...?" Issei said hesitantly. "Hiraga-san. Is something wrong?"

"Buchou," Saito said, ignoring Issei as he looked away from him. "Those of a Peerage are slaves to the King piece, right?"

"Servants," Rias corrected him again, now frowning openly at Saito's choice of words.

"What happens, then, if a member of a Peerage disobeys the King?" Saito asked. "Or what if they ran away?"

Rias cocked her head. "Well, for disobedience, they would be punished, though the type of punishment would depend on the King. If they ran away, they would be considered stray devils and would be hunted down and eliminated in order to prevent them from becoming a threat."

"Thank you." Saito looked back at Issei. In a cold, blunt voice, he spoke. "So in other words, what you're saying is that you want a bunch of sex slaves."

"What?" Issei said, looking aghast. "No! I want a harem! That's different!"

"How is it different?" Saito said icily. "You have a group of women who, as your slaves-"

"Servants," Rias corrected, rapidly becoming very concerned about her newest Pawn. "Saito-"

"-must obey your every word, your every command," Saito continued, brushing aside Rias's attempt to intrude in his rapidly escalating tirade. "Whatever you want to do to them, they cannot voice their complaints. Even if they dislike it, they must put up with it, lest you take offense and decide to punish them for it. And if they decide that they have had enough and try to escape, they'll be branded as criminals and killed. _That_ is what you're saying you want, isn't it, Hyoudou Issei!?"

"Saito!" Rias said sharply, as Issei shrank beneath Saito's harsh words.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT!?" he bellowed as he whirled around to Rias, catching her by surprise at his vitriol.

The room went dead silent as everyone stared at Saito. His eyes flicked around at the others as he licked his lips. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," Saito said quietly, opening his eyes after a few seconds. "I let my temper get the best of me. I said too much."

Silently, Saito walked over to his schoolbag and picked it up before opening the door. He paused there.

"Hyoudou-san," Saito said. "I made too many assumptions just now and I wasn't very fair to you at all. I'm sure you wouldn't force a woman to join your Peerage against their will and without full understanding of just what they are getting into. You have my apologies for that. I'll see you all tomorrow."

**-Scene Break-**

Once Saito had left the room, Akeno was the first to recover from the stunned silence.

"Oh my," Akeno said in a jesting tone, trying to alleviate some of the pressure and tension that had taken hold in the room. "That was rather rude."

Rias glanced at Akeno, who nodded once in understanding – the silent message having been received. Though Rias was thankful for the attempt at breaking the ice, now was not the time for it.

"... Buchou," Issei said almost meekly. "Is having a harem really as bad as Hiraga-san said? Am I wrong for wanting one?"

Akeno looked pityingly at Issei. He looked hurt and confused, and more than a little upset. To have his dream so cruelly insulted, to be accused of wanting to be, in simple terms, a rapist by someone who he had thought to be his friend no doubt wounded Issei deeply. Since Issei was her junior in Rias's Peerage, and therefore like her younger brother, it hurt Akeno to see Issei hurt.

"Of course not, Ise," Rias said gently. "It's a fine dream to have as a devil."

"... Perverted, though," Koneko added quietly.

"Koneko," Rias said in a stern and admonishing tone.

"... Sorry."

"Still," Kiba said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I had no idea that Hiraga-kun despised being reincarnated as a devil so much. I know that Ise-kun and I were the ones to recommend it, but now I wonder if perhaps it would have been best if you hadn't, Buchou."

"I wonder. Is that what it sounded like to you, Yuuto-kun?" Akeno said softly.

Kiba turned to face Akeno, cocking his head. "What do you mean, Akeno-san?"

"I mean that everything Saito-kun said was focused on Peerages and the Evil Pieces system, not devils or reincarnation in particular," Akeno said. "And remember, when Asia-chan was being reincarnated, he did not attempt to stop it. In fact, he supported it."

"But that doesn't make any sense, then," Kiba said, frowning. "Reincarnation is part of the Evil Pieces system, as are the Peerages. So why would he support reincarnating Asia-san if he hated it so much?"

Rias's eyes widened as she came to a realization. "He didn't know. At the time, all he heard was that we could save Asia-chan's life. He didn't know what being reincarnated as a devil would necessarily entail. He didn't know about the Peerage."

Akeno nodded. "Yes. What he despises is not reincarnating as a devil. He hates being forced into a Peerage. 'Slavery' as he described it."

"Even so," Rias said, frowning. "I think that his anger is a little abnormal. The alternative was death, a much worse option in my mind, and it's not as though any of us have treated him badly."

"There are people who would prefer death," Akeno said. "But I agree with you, Buchou. I think he did overreact a tad. Or rather, it sounded as though he had a biased opinion."

"Indeed." Rias pursed her lips. Her eyes flicked down to her desk drawer. She narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips, as she stared back at Akeno "You think that this might have to do with something from last year?"

Though the others looked between Rias and Akeno with confusion, Akeno simply nodded.

"I do," Akeno said. "Buchou. Saito-kun probably has not gone too far yet. I would like to go speak with him. "

Rias nodded. "I understand. Go, then."

"Thank you, Buchou," Akeno said. "I will return soon."

**-Scene Break-**

Akeno let out a breath of relief as she found Saito. She had been lucky that Saito had not been walking at a particularly quick pace, for by the time she had caught up with him, he was already nearing his home. Noticing the sound of Akeno's footsteps, Saito turned around with a look of blank surprise on his face.

"Himejima-senpai?" Saito said. His expression immediately turned in a small scowl. "Did Buchou send you?"

"No. I came on my own." Akeno smiled. "Do you mind if we talk for a bit, Hiraga-kun?"

"Talk?" Saito glanced towards the direction of Kuoh Academy. "If it's about before, back there, then I apologize for that. I didn't mean to blow up like I did. If you'd like, I can make a more formal apology to the others tomorrow."

Akeno shook her head. "It's not about that. Listen, there's a park near here. Do you mind if we go there for a little while?"

"I don't mind."

"Thank you," Akeno smiled gratefully. "This way."

With Akeno in the lead, the two took a detour off the main street. In five minutes, they arrived at a small, unremarkable park. It was empty of human life and mostly so of decorations, with there being only a few vacant benches aligning the gravel path that ran through the park's center. It's mostly unspoiled nature gave the park a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Akeno sat down on one of the benches and motioned for Saito to do the same.

"So?" Saito said as he sat down and set his concealed sword across his lap, maintaining a polite amount of distance between him and Akeno on the bench. "If it's not about before, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"My, my," Akeno said teasingly. "Aren't you in a rush to get to the point? Do you not enjoy simply chatting, Hiraga-kun? No, do you mind if I call you Saito-kun?"

"That's fine," Saito shrugged. "And it's not like I don't enjoy talking. But it sounded like you had something specific to talk with me about, Himejima-senpai."

"I suppose I do," Akeno said. "Though it's nothing concrete or specific. And please, call me Akeno-san." Akeno smiled mischievously. "Or you could call me Akeno-neesama. After all, as a devil, I am something like your older sister."

"If you say so, Akeno-neesama," Saito said drily.

Akeno's eyes lit up with amusement. "Oh my," Akeno tittered. "You'll actually call me that?"

"I could also call you Akeno-chan instead, if you'd like," Saito said wryly.

"Hm... No. No, I think '-neesama' will be fine," Akeno said, smiling a little more broadly.

"All right, then, Akeno-neesama," Saito said, nodding once.

Akeno tilted her head back slightly, letting lose a silvery peal of laughter.

"You know," Saito frowned. "If you're going to laugh every time I call you Akeno-neesama, I think I might just stick with Akeno-san instead."

"No, please don't," Akeno grinned as she managed to suppress her laughter. "It's just that I didn't think you would actually call me that. I like it." Akeno let out a drawn breath, letting her laughter die down as she took on a more serious tone and expression. "But you are a strange boy, Saito-kun."

Saito cocked his head. "In what way?"

"You are rather contradictory," Akeno said. "Very much so, in fact."

"Contradictory?" Saito pursed his lips. "Do you mean that I'm hypocritical?"

Akeno shook her head. "That's not quite right. Contradiction and hypocrisy – there is a slight but important difference between the two," Akeno said. "To be hypocritical means to espouse something one does not truly believe in or uphold. To be contradictory means to do one thing, then do its opposite."

"Is that so?" Saito mused understandingly. "In what ways have I been contradictory, then?"

"For one, when you defended Fallen Angel Raynare in order to allow her to go free," Akeno said. "Were you not moments before doing your best to kill her? I don't understand why you were trying to kill her one moment and then protect her in the next."

"Ah. That?" Saito said, smiling bitterly. "I suppose to others it would seem contradictory, but I do have my own reason for it."

"What is it?" Akeno asked curiously.

"You see, Akeno-neesama," Saito sighed, resigning himself to explaining. "The most valuable and important thing I possess is my own life. If someone were to save this life of mine, there is very little I would not do for them, short of harming an innocent person, but including risking or even sacrificing my life to save them. And Raynare did save me. If she hadn't found me, I would have died alone in an alley."

"Died?" Akeno interjected. "From what?"

"Gunshot wounds," Saito said.

"Gunshot wounds?" Akeno echoed. "Who shot you, Saito-kun?"

"That's not important," Saito said dismissively.

"Saito-kun," Akeno said sternly. "Of course it's important."

"It isn't," Saito asserted strongly.

"All right, then," Akeno frowned. "If that's how you feel, I understand. So if you owed Raynare a debt, why did you try to kill her?"

"Because although I owed Raynare my life," Saito said, "she wasn't the only one I have a life debt towards. And to that other person, Raynare did something truly evil."

"She killed Asia in order to steal Twilight Healing," Akeno said as she slowly started to piece Saito's logic together.

"Yeah," Saito nodded. "Raynare saved me by finding me and bringing me to Asia. Asia saved me by actually healing me. Because of that, I owed a life debt to both of them. But by murdering Asia, Raynare made it so that there was only one possible way for me to repay my life debt to Asia."

"By avenging her," Akeno murmured.

"Yes," Saito said quietly. "But then you and Buchou appeared and presented a second option for me. By resurrecting Asia as a devil, avenging her was no longer the only way. She could come back to life and I would be able to repay her for saving me in some other way, someday. This in turn gave me the opportunity to repay my debt to Raynare in full, clearing my conscious so that the next time I meet her, I can kill her without remorse. That is why I protected that bitch."

"You place a great deal of importance on these life debts," Akeno commented.

"Like I said, my life is my most important thing," Saito said, shrugging. "Therefore, I value my life debts appropriately. There is very little I hold in higher regard than them."

"But if that's the case, Saito-kun," Akeno said. "If life debts are so important to you, why are you so angry at Buchou? She saved your life, just like Asia-chan, and she hasn't done anything like Raynare to deserve your anger."

Saito shook his head. "You're mistaken about something. Buchou and Asia are different," Saito said. "True, they both saved my life, but in Buchou's case, she did so at a price: my servitude."

"Is that why you're angry at Buchou?" Akeno asked. "Because she made you her Pawn?"

Saito shook his head again. "Don't get me wrong, Akeno-neesama," he said. "I'm very grateful to Buchou. Becoming her Pawn is a cheap price to pay in return for my life."

"Then what exactly are you upset about?" Akeno said, bemused.

Saito didn't speak for a moment, looking instead toward the horizon, as if contemplating how to best articulate his next words. Patiently, Akeno waited for him.

"What I'm upset about is the whole Peerage and Evil Pieces system," Saito finally said.

"You think it's wrong," Akeno stated.

"I think that I'm fortunate that it exists, because otherwise I'd probably be dead right now," Saito replied. "But just because it did one good thing for me – a really good thing, I'll admit – it still doesn't change the fact that whatever you call it, however you dress it up, it is still essentially just a system of slavery."

"If that's what you think, then you misunderstand Rias," Akeno said. "She doesn't see you as a slave. To those of the Gremory clan, their Peerage is a part of their family."

"I'm sure she does," Saito said drily. "But this isn't just about her specifically. It's about this whole 'Evil Pieces' system as a whole."

"Why do you think of it as slavery, then?" Akeno asked calmly.

"Besides the fact that we have to obey the King, lest bad things happen to us, it's because to a King, potential members of their Peerages aren't people; they're objects," Saito said bitterly. "They select for reincarnation only those that would be most useful to them, as if they were out shopping for a new car or computer. Take Buchou and I for an example. I don't know what the circumstances were that led her to decide to reincarnate me, but I can guess: I bet that she thought that my fighting abilities would be useful to her, which is why she made me her Pawn."

"That is true," Akeno admitted reluctantly. "But you must understand that a King only has a very limited number of Evil Pieces, which are irreplaceable. They cannot go around resurrecting just anyone."

"I understand that," Saito said, sighing wearily. "The Evil Pieces are priceless things to a King. Amongst humans, there aren't many that would donate even a few coins in order to help a fellow human in need. And if humans won't help their fellow humans, there's no way I can blame a devil for withholding their Evil Pieces from someone that would be useless to them. In my head, I understand that. Believe me when I say that I understand that."

Akeno cocked her head as she looked at Saito. "Then why?"

"Because even if I understand it here" - Saito tapped one finger to the side of his skull, indicating his brain - "I can't accept it here" - Saito moved his hand downward, placing his palm over his heart. "No matter what, I can't accept a system that treats human lives as objects. I can't. I just can't. It makes me mad, Akeno-neesama, and that is something I don't think I'll ever be able to get over. It's something I don't_ want_ to get over."

Slowly, Akeno reached out with one hand and placed it gently on Saito's shoulder. He flinched and tensed for a moment upon being touched, but relaxed shortly thereafter.

"I understand what you're saying, Saito-kun," Akeno said. "I really do. I won't lie, either – there do exist Kings that are cruel and vicious. They care nothing for others and force strong individuals into their Peerage without consent. But please believe me when I tell you that Rias isn't like that. She cares for us all. To her, we are her family. She is the type of King that others should be like."

"I know, Akeno-neesama. I know." Saito sighed wearily as he stood up to leave. He stood there in silence for a few seconds, sword and schoolbag in hand. Then he said, "I am grateful to Buchou for saving my life. That is why I'll pay her cost without complaint. I will work loyally as her Pawn. But that is all." Saito glanced over his shoulder at Akeno, giving her a small, emotionless smile. "Well, let's get along from now on, Akeno-neesama – from one slave to another."

**-Scene Break-**

Saito stood in front of the door of the Occult Research club room. He sighed. It felt like the first time he had to go in front of the class and make a presentation, way back in primary school. The sense of dread and anxiety was unwelcome, to say the least.

Still, he had made his bed of nails. It was time to lie on it.

Reaching to the doorknob, Saito twisted and pushed the door wide open. Walking in, schoolbag and Derflinger in hand, Saito immediately noticed the tense atmosphere, and that besides Rias and her Peerage, there was one additional guest.

She was dressed in a maid's outfit, reminding Saito of Siesta, and had silver hair. She carried about her the presence and aura of a dignified and stern older woman, though judging purely from her youthful and beautiful appearance, she seemed to be in her early twenties, at most.

Saito licked his lips nervously. His instincts, long since sharpened through life-and-death battles, were warning him that this woman was dangerous. He could practically taste the power that rolled off this woman in waves. Whoever this woman was, her power was like that of a vast ocean, one whose still surface belied its turbulent nature – a nature which could easily allow that ocean to turn into an unstoppable tsunami that would crush and wash away all that lay in its path.

In that regard, this person reminded Saito of Karin the Heavy Wind, Louise's mother and another extraordinarily powerful and frightening woman. Though in terms of ominousness, Karin did not come anywhere close to that of this woman.

"Ah, Saito," Rias said from her desk. She looked very displeased at something. Saito wondered if it was about what he had said yesterday, though it didn't seem like it. "Good, you're here. Take a seat. I have an important announcement to make."

Saito flicked his eyes at Rias, before cautiously fixing his gaze back on the silver-haired woman. In the presence of such an obviously powerful and dangerous being, there was no way in hell that he was going to do something as vulnerable as sitting down. Saito carefully walked to the wall opposite of where the silver-haired woman stood beside and slightly behind Rias. There, he set his schoolbag down and leaned against the wall, carefully keeping his hand on his unbound nylon case, ready to withdraw Derflinger in an instant.

No. Instead of sitting down, Saito thought, he would remain standing and ready to react to whatever this woman did. Violently, if necessary.

"Lady Rias," the silver-haired woman said politely. "Would you like me to explain?"

"No," Rias said. "I will. Everyone, the truth is that-"

Suddenly, a magic circle formed inside the room. It shined with a vermillion color and bore a central seal different than the one Saito had seen before, when Rias and her Peerage made one. From that circle, a tall blond man appeared. He wore red pants and a red blazer with a white dress shirt underneath. The top few buttons were unbuttoned in order to show off a part of his chest in a way that screamed arrogance. His hands were stuck casually in his pockets, and he stood with a haughty expression. Rias groaned upon seeing the man.

"My lovely Rias," he said. "I came to see you."

Saito noticed that Rias was glaring at the man through half-lidded eyes and with unhidden annoyance and disgust.

"Riser," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I just said, I came here to see you," Riser replied. He sniffed distastefully. "Though, the human world sits ill with me. The air here is disgusting. Come, Rias. Let us return to the Underworld. We still need to look around at the ceremony hall, since the ceremony's date is already set."

When Riser grabbed Rias's arm, she shook him off brusquely.

"Don't touch me," she said angrily.

Instead of looking offended, Riser simply smirked, looking amused by Rias's reaction. "Touchy, aren't you, Rias?"

"Hey!" Issei said hotly. "You're being rude to Buchou! Who the hell are you?"

The question seemed to take Riser by surprise. He looked at Issei, then back at Rias. "You haven't told your servants about me? About us?"

"There was no need to," Rias said stiffly. "And there is no _us._"

"Hyoudou Issei," the silver-haired maid said politely.

"Y-Yes?" Issei answered, looking as nervous as Saito felt by the woman.

"This man is Riser Phenex," she said. "A pure-blooded high-class devil; third son of the Phenex family; and future husband of the next heir of the Gremory family, Rias Gremory."

Issei stared blankly at the silver-haired woman. He blinked. Nearly ten seconds passed before he seemed to finally finish processing the woman's words. Then:

"What!?" Issei blurted in complete shock.

"Ise," Rias said sternly. "Calm down."

"But, Buchou," Ise began.

"Ise," Rias said, and he quailed underneath her gaze. She turned her attention back to the man in red. "Riser. I'm certain I've made it clear on numerous occasions that I will _not_ marry you."

"You most certainly did," Riser said easily. "But it's already decided. Your parents and brother are on board with our marriage."

"They have nothing to do with this!" Rias snapped. "As the heiress to the House of Gremory, I alone possess the right to choose who my husband will be! Not only that, but it was also promised that I would be free to do as I pleased until I graduate from a human university."

"Yeah, there was a promise like that, wasn't there?" Riser said nonchalantly, tapping his chin as if in deep thought. He shrugged. "Though I don't understand at all what you find so pleasant about the human world or their schools. Try to understand the family's worries, Rias. They're concerned that House Gremory will go extinct, just like so many others that disappeared after the last Great War. Even if there is an armistice, it doesn't mean that all conflict has ended. Didn't you just very recently have a fight with a group of fallen angels?"

"We destroyed them, if that's what you mean," Rias retorted.

"I heard one got away," Riser smirked.

"That was due to other circumstances," Rias said. "And she didn't get away. We allowed her to leave."

"Be that as it may," Riser shrugged, "the fear is that you'll end up fighting with another group of angels or fallen angels and die without leaving behind an heir. You understand, don't you?"

"I understand perfectly," Rias said stiffly. "I will not allow my house to go extinct and I am willing to take a husband."

"Excellent. You understand, as I knew you would," Riser said, a broad smile spread over his lips. "Then, let's-"

"However," Rias cut him off. "As I said before, I will choose who my husband will be, and it will _not_ be you."

Riser's smile died in an instant and he stared at Rias with a cold expression.

"You know, Rias," Riser said in a dangerously calm voice. "I am the third son of the Phenex family. I can't let mine nor my family's name be tarnished like that." Flames began gathering around Riser, forming into large, birdlike wings behind his back. "So I will burn your servants to ashes and drag you back to the Underworld, if I must."

"Why don't you try it?" Rias shot back, blood-red energy emanating from her body.

Saito felt the unbearable heat and the oppressive energy from Riser and Rias fill the room, and he, along with the rest of Rias's Peerage, tensed as they prepared for a fight to break out. Slowly and quietly, Saito pulled Derflinger out of the nylon case just enough to allow its hilt to stick out. Saito gripped the handle in preparation for the fight, feeling the slight warmth from the runes of the Gandalfr pulsate against his flesh as they shined, its light hidden from others by the glove he wore over his left hand.

"Lady Rias. Lord Riser. Please calm down, the both of you," the silver-haired maid said in a calm manner. "If you two seek to continue in this manner, then for the sake of the honor of my master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will not hold back and stop both of you."

More than her words, it was the dangerous aura that began actively emanating from the silver-haired maid that caused Saito to become even more nervous than he had been over Riser's and Rias's impending fight. The ocean of power had stirred. Any more than this and it would become something truly dreadful.

Like Saito, both Riser and Rias recognized the danger in the silver-haired woman's words. They swallowed nervously as the flames and the red energy faded away.

"Well," Riser said in tone remarkably meek for the arrogant man. "If the strongest Queen in all of the Underworld were to say that, then even I would have to back down."

"I agree," Rias said, swallowing her saliva nervously.

"You have my gratitude," the silver-haired woman said. "Now, since we are at an impasse, I will relay to Lady Rias and Lord Riser the suggestion my master and those of the Phenex clan have come up with."

"A suggestion?" Rias said. "What is it, Grayfia?"

"Lady Rias," Grayfia. "If you truly do not wish to marry Lord Riser, then you must defeat him in an unofficial Rating Game."

Rias breathed in sharply. Riser laughed.

"Hahaha! Lucifer-sama and my family sure have come up with an amusing method to settle this," Riser chuckled. "So? What will it be, Rias? Will you decline and flee or accept and lose?"

"Neither," Rias said hotly. "I accept the conditions, Grayfia. But Riser, I'll tell you this: I will win."

"Understood, Lady Rias," Grayfia said as she opened a miniature magic circle in front of her. "Then I will inform Master Lucifer and the Houses of Gremory and Phenex of your decision and begin the preparations for its arrangement."

As Grayfia began talking quietly into the magic circle, Riser sneered at Rias.

"I'll applaud your courage, Rias," Riser said. "Even though you know it's hopeless, you still have the guts to try. That's commendable."

"Don't make arbitrary decisions like that," Rias nearly snarled. "I will blow you away in this Rating Game. After that, our engagement will be off – permanently."

"Fine," Riser said, holding up both hands, palms open. "But when I win, we'll be getting married immediately."

"Keep dreaming," Rias said. "Because you won't."

"Rias, Rias, Rias," Riser said, shaking his head as if he were admonishing a silly child. "You're a smart woman. Think. You don't have a chance. I've already been through many Rating Games. I've won most of them, too. But for you, this will be your first time. Our experiences simply do not compare." He glanced around the room and sneered. "Not to mention your Peerage, as well."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rias said, narrowing her eyes.

"Just that aside from your Queen, they're all too weak," Riser said offhandedly. "Like our experience, your Peerage doesn't even begin to compare to mine."

Riser snapped his finger, and several vermillion-colored circles, similar to the one that Riser had appeared from, formed around him. A moment later, there were fifteen girls of all shapes and sizes, beautiful or cute without exception, in the room with them.

Though Saito couldn't be certain of these girls' level of strength and skill, based purely on the basis of numbers, they were already sorely outmatched. Including Rias and Riser, it was seven against sixteen. Saito frowned. They more than doubled Rias's forces. Such odds was not insurmountable, but it certainly was daunting.

"H-How can this be?" Issei said, his voice thick with disbelief, his eyes shining with tears as he stared at Riser.

Saito glanced at Issei, wondering what it was that the boy had noticed to elicit such a strong reaction.

"Uh... Rias?" Riser said as he cautiously stared at Issei. "Why is your servant crying while watching me? It's kind of creepy."

Rias looked at Issei for a moment. She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry about that. His dream is to have a harem, so I think he was moved to tears after seeing that you are living his dream."

Saito groaned. Seriously? _That_ was why he was reacting like this?

"Wow, that's kind of gross," a short, green-haired girl in a gym uniform consisting of a white t-shirt and black shorts said.

"He really is pretty nasty," a girl with cat ears sticking out of her head said.

Issei trembled with impotent rage as the members of Riser's Peerage continued raining down insults on him as if he wasn't even there.

"Now, now, girls," Riser said, grinning wickedly. "It's only normal for a lowly guy like him to look up to and be jealous of someone like me. So how about we put on a little show for him? Yubelluna."

"Yes," a busty woman with long, wavy purple hair said as she stepped towards Riser.

Then, right in front of everyone, Riser pulled her in close to him, one hand on her waistline while the other caressed and fondled her large breasts, and began kissing her. It was a long, wet kiss, made purposefully loud, their bodies angled in such a way that Issei had full vision of how Riser's and Yubelluna's tongues swirled about inside each other's mouth.

Issei shook visibly with a jealous fury while Saito and the rest of Rias's Peerage simply watched with disgust. After nearly a minute, Riser finally separated from Yubelluna, a thin strand of saliva trailing from their lips as they did, only to then grab and begin doing the same exact thing to another of his girls. After another minute deep, passionate kissing, Riser pulled away from the girl and looked at Issei.

"You will _never_ be able to do something like that," Riser declared.

Issei snapped.

"Damn you, you fried chicken bastard!" Issei shouted furiously. "You don't deserve Buchou! I'm going to beat you up right now! Sacred Gear, activate!"

A red light flashed around Issei's left arm. When the light faded, it left a red gauntlet in its place.

"Boost!" the gauntlet announced.

"Oooh!" Issei roared as he charged towards Riser.

"Boosted Gear, eh?" Riser snorted. "Mira. Do it."

A blue-haired girl wielding a long wooden pole nodded, then charged forward swiftly. Saito's eyes narrowed as he began moving at the same time as the girl. In one motion, he drew Derflinger from his sheath within the cotton case and shot forward like a bullet. The world around Saito seemed to slow down as he moved, his senses having sharpened to an unnatural degree now that he was in combat mode. Because of that, Saito clearly saw Mira thrust her staff forward, aiming to use the blunt but unforgiving end of the pole to strike at Issei's solar plexus. By the time Issei was able to react, it was already too late for him to even try to dodge. His balance, posture, and momentum simply would not allow any such action.

But faster than Mira could attack, Saito had already closed the distance and reached out with one hand, firmly grasping the pole near its end. He allowed the force of the thrust to pull his arm in its direction, spinning his body along with it such that his back was then against the pole. There was a brief tug on his straightened arm and shoulder as the pole stopped mere centimeters away from Issei's chest. At the same time as when he spun, Saito extended his sword arm, allowing the momentum to cause a fast and natural swing. Derflinger cleaved through the air in a flash of steel, stopping just short of Mira's neck – a thin, scarlet line appearing just beneath Derflinger's edge as proof of how close the blade had been to the flesh.

Cold sweat beaded on Mira's brow as she glanced down fearfully at Saito's blade with widened eyes. Riser seemed stunned. Similarly, Rias looked surprised as well, but there was a calculating gleam in her eyes as she carefully observed Saito.

"Riser, was it?" Saito said as he slowly took Derflinger away from Mira's neck and released her wooden staff. Dazed, she stumbled backwards into the safety of the rest of Riser's Peerage, one hand covering the shallow cut she had received. "It is as you say. We are weak compared to you and your Peerage," Saito said, the sarcasm obvious for all to hear. "So for the sake of fairness, will you not give us a handicap?"

Riser recovered, growling, "And what makes you think I need to do that, worm?"

"Come now, Riser," Rias said shrewdly. "Surely for someone of your strength, allowing us at least a few weeks of training wouldn't hurt your chances of winning." Rias smirked mockingly. "Or perhaps you're afraid that you'll actually lose against me? After all, it would be pretty embarrassing if you lost against someone with less than half the number of your Peerage and has never even participated in a Rating Game before."

"You dare call me, Riser Phenex, third son of the ancient and noble House of Phenex, a coward?" Riser demanded, outraged.

Rias shrugged. "If the shoe fits..."

Riser snarled. "Tell me how much time you want, then."

"Three weeks," Rias said immediately.

"Too long," Riser said. "One week."

"Two."

"_Ten days,_" Riser said with a note of finality. "If that is not enough for you, then forfeit here and now."

"Fine," Rias said. "In ten days, Riser Phenex, I will blow you away."

**-Scene Break-**

Rias let out a long, drawn out breath as she leaned back in her armchair, her eyes half closed. With Grayfia and Riser and his Peerage gone, the room was unusually quiet and tense.

Ten days.

In just ten days, the fight to determine her fate would begin. Rias sighed. Ten days. It was a small mercy, but a mercy nonetheless. Rias was grateful for it. Now, everything depended on how they spent this time of preparation that she and Saito had managed to win. Strategies would need to be made and training would need to be done, especially for Issei. His Sacred Gear would be the critical factor that would allow Rias to defeat Riser Phenex.

However, despite whatever brave words she had said, Rias in actuality had very little confidence in being able to win. It was as Riser said: She was simply outclassed. Her Peerage was not substantially stronger than his, so the numbers advantage Riser had would be a decisive difference. Comparing his experience with the Rating Games to hers was as different as night and day. And most troubling of all was Riser himself. His special ability as a Phenex would be incredibly troublesome to deal with. Ten days was not nearly enough time to adequately prepare for a battle against him.

"Buchou," Saito said briskly, breaking the silence. "I have a few questions."

"What is it?" Rias said, opening her eyes fully and facing her Pawn.

"What is a Rating Game? From what I heard, it sounds like a battle between Kings and their Peerages. If so, are there any rules we should be aware of? What are the characteristics and abilities of the different Pieces? What information do you have about Riser Phenex and his Peerage? Is there anything in particular that we should be aware of about them?"

Rias blinked at Saito's almost professional tone as he listed off his inquiries, his almost cavalier way of ignoring the tense atmosphere.

"Yes, a Rating Game is essentially as you described: a battle between two Kings and their Peerages," Rias slowly said. "To be more precise, it is a controlled way for Kings to compete with each other and prove whose Peerage is the stronger, thereby earning prestige, without incurring any serious injuries or deaths. In order to win, the opposing King must be defeated."

"Just like in chess," Saito noted.

"Indeed," Rias nodded. "The rules depend on the type of Rating Game played, but for this one, there is none that we need to be especially aware of. It will be a simple, straightforward battle. As for the different pieces, the Knight has greatly increased speed and reflexes. The Rook is its opposite – they have greatly increased strength and durability. The Bishop has improved magical abilities. And the Queen has the abilities of those three Pieces combined."

"What about the Pawn?" Saito prompted.

"As a Pawn, you only have the natural all-around increase in physical abilities that being a devil affords you," Rias said. "That, and one other special ability: Promotion. Once a Pawn reaches the enemy's base, like in Chess, they can promote into any of the other four Pieces."

"Interesting," Saito mused, narrowing his eyes. "All right. What of Riser Phenex and his Peerage?"

"I don't have sufficient information on his Peerage at the moment," Rias said. "But those of the Phenex clan have all the same abilities as the great mythological bird, the phoenix. In other words, they have mastery over fire and wind and possess the trait of immortality."

"Immortality?" Saito grimaced. "That complicates things, doesn't it?"

"Very much so," Rias agreed. "There are only two ways to circumvent that: either completely obliterate him with a godly powerful attack, or kill him repeatedly, over and over, until his mind breaks down." Rias sighed as she leaned the side of her head against her fingers. "However, his numerical advantage makes it difficult for us to maintain our strength and stamina in order to attempt either method."

"In other words, we need a strategy that allow us to maximize our efficiency and effectiveness while minimizing costs," Saito said. "We need a low risk, high gain plan."

"Yes. That's exactly it," Rias agreed. She frowned as she stared at Saito. "It sounds like you are no stranger to combat. What experience do you have, Saito?"

"Live practice," Saito grunted.

"What do you mean?" Rias pressed.

"Nothing," Saito answered, his lips remaining tightly sealed.

Rias frowned, opening her mouth to insist that Saito answer her question, when Issei suddenly spoke up.

"Um... Hiraga-san," Issei said. "Aren't you scared at all?"

"Of course I am. I'm always afraid fighting. It's painful and scary," Saito said easily, looking evenly at Issei. "But we don't have time to indulge in fear, nor can we allow it to govern our thoughts and actions. That makes us weak and ineffective. We just need to win this 'Rating Game' for the sake of our King. And that is all we need to think about."

Rias smiled at Saito's impromptu speech. The rest of her Peerage gave their nods of approval as well. With his calm, steady words, the tension in the air vanished, replaced instead by a determined atmosphere. Saito was right, Rias thought. They, her Peerage, would be fighting for her sake. That was their duty to her. In turn, it was her duty to them, as their King, to come up with a winning strategy, no matter the odds.

"Yeah, you're right, Hiraga-san!" Issei grinned. "Besides, there's no way in hell that I'm gonna let that fried chicken bastard marry Buchou! I mean, who does he think he is? He already has a harem, for crying out loud! That lucky freaking asshole!" he said hotly. "How can he have a harem before I do!?"

Rias sighed, though it was an amused sigh and her smile became a little wider. It figures that Issei would have such a reason for fighting. At least he was consistent, Rias thought fondly. She couldn't fault him for that.

"Uh... Right. Sure. Whatever you say," Saito said, shaking his head with incredulity. He sighed. "But trust me when I say that harems aren't as great as you think they are," he muttered as an aside.

Rias was certain that Saito hadn't meant for that last part to be heard by anyone, but he had neglected the fact that devils have senses superior to that of humans. Thus, everyone in the room heard him.

"Wait... Those words... That means... You have a harem!?" Issei accused as he gawked at Saito.

Saito flushed as he realized that he had been heard. "Um... Well, sort of, but not really. I mean I did, but not anymore. _Technically _it wasn't really a harem. That is... Uh..." Saito hedged. He took a deep breath. "You know what? Can you just pretend that you never heard that?"

"Hiraga-san! You have to teach me the secrets of how to get a harem!" Issei pleaded as he grabbed Saito's hand, clasping it between his own. "Please, Hiraga-san! I'm begging you!"

"Like I said," Saito grunted as he tried to pull his hand free from Issei's vicelike grip. "Please pretend you didn't hear that."

"Actually, I'm curious about this too," Rias said, grinning openly at the spectacle that Issei and Saito were putting on.

"Oh my," Akeno said with amusement. "If Buchou says that, then I have to admit I'm curious as well."

"Sorry," Kiba smiled apologetically. "But I am, too."

"... Perverts," was all Koneko said, though she seemed to be listening intently.

"Me as well," Asia admitted.

Saito looked around the room with a look of betrayal on his face. Seeing that he had no allies anywhere, he sighed and caved in. "Well, like I said, it wasn't _really_ a harem," Saito said. "It was more like they were competing for my affections, I guess. Most of them, anyway. Some of them just wanted to use me. One of them was just looking for a fun little fling, as well as to piss off another girl. I mean, it turned out to have worked to my advantage, but the whole thing was still pretty annoying. Also, could you let go of my hand, Hyoudou-san? I'm not really feeling comfortable with this."

"How could a harem be annoying?" Issei demanded incredulously, though he complied and released Saito's hand. "A harem is the dream of men all over the world!"

"Oh my," Akeno smiled. "Don't tell me you were playing with the hearts of maidens, Saito-kun."

"No. No, nothing like that," Saito said defensively. "And just picture this, Hyoudou-san: Imagine that you're deeply in love with one girl. You want to marry her one day and spend the rest of your life with her. Now, imagine that a bunch of other girls are in love with you. Despite them knowing that you love only that first girl, they still try to tempt you away. In doing so, they make that first girl really mad at you, becoming the source of many fights. Not so fun, right?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Issei said skeptically.

"It sounds like you've had some very interesting experiences," Rias said.

"It's... Well, it's a long story."

"I think we'd all love to hear it," Rias said, smiling, but listening with keen interest. Whatever he said, it may have clues of Saito's past.

Saito shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't want to talk about it."

Rias frowned. "Saito, if there's anything troubling you, you can always speak to us about it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Saito said curtly. "But there are more important things to be concerned about, aren't there? Such as how to prepare for the upcoming battle?"

Rias sighed ruefully. She had been hoping to figure out a clue to Saito's past, no matter how silly or trivial it might seem. It appeared that would not be happening.

"Of course," Rias agreed reluctantly. "And I do have a plan for that."

"What is it?" Saito questioned.

Rias smiled. "Training camp."

**-Scene Break-**

Saito let out a relaxed breath as he set down his luggage on the ground, the bags dropping with a soft thump on the grass. He breathed in deeply, letting the cool, clean mountain air fill his lungs. Nearby, Akeno, Asia, and Rias were chatting away cheerfully.

In order to prepare for the upcoming Rating Game, Rias had decided that they would all go to one of her family's mountain villas in order to focus completely on training. When Saito brought up the topic with his parents over dinner, he having disappeared for a year, they were understandably loathe to allow him to leave them for more than a day. It had taken much convincing on Saito's part in order to be allowed to go. It helped, Saito supposed, that his parents thought that he was on a club field trip. It technically was. Only, when Saito was convincing his parents, he had changed the purpose of the field trip from "training to defeat an immortal devil-phoenix-bird-thing" to a "research trip."

It was close enough.

Casually, Saito planted the tip of the sheathed Derflinger on the ground and leaned against it. Soon, Kiba appeared on the top of the slope that Saito and the others were waiting on. His delay seemed to be in part due to the number of wild herbs and plants he had picked and held in his hands. He smiled at Saito as he too set down his bags. A moment after, Koneko appeared, carrying luggage easily twice as large as what Saito and Kiba had been carrying. Considering that Koneko was half the size of either of them and that the bags they were carrying totaled almost a hundred pounds (made far easier to carry thanks to their devil-enhanced strength), Saito found himself with renewed respect for the superhuman power of a Rook.

It took several minutes before the last of Rias's Peerage appeared. Wheezing and sweating heavily, Issei practically crawled his way to the top of slope. With shaky legs, he approached the others. Tired and exhausted, he carelessly dropped his luggage on the ground and followed it down a moment after, collapsing onto the grass.

"Jeez, Ise," Rias said in an admonishing tone. "If you can't do this much, you won't become stronger, you know."

"R... Right, Buchou," Issei gasped for breath.

"Well, in any case, let's put the bags away and begin training immediately!" Rias declared blithely.

"C-Couldn't we take a little break first, Buchou?" Issei asked pleadingly.

"Nope!" Rias said, crushing that hope mercilessly. "We don't have time to take breaks. Besides, if you have enough energy to talk, then you have enough left to train."

Issei groaned. Saito felt some pity for the young devil, but he knew that Rias was right. They did not have the luxury of being able to take breaks. The truth was that in only ten days, there was little that a person could do to improve his physicality. Increasing stamina and strength was possible, to a degree, but there was not enough time to make any large, substantial improvements. Most of the improvement from this training would be mental and technical.

"No complaining, Ise," Rias said sharply. "Besides, this training is mostly for you in the first place."

"For me?" Issei said as he finally managed to catch his breath. "What do you mean, Buchou?"

"Your Sacred Gear," Rias said. "You understand what it does, right?"

"I think so," Issei frowned. "It increases my power every time it says 'Boost,' right?"

"Yes," Rias said. "To be more accurate, your Sacred Gear is one of the thirteen strongest Sacred Gears in existence. One of the thirteen Longinus: Gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor, Boosted Gear. Its ability is that it doubles your power every ten seconds, possessing the potential to grant you enough strength to be able to slay even gods."

_Damn, _Saito thought as he recalled that one almighty punch Issei had delivered to Raynare. _That's an incredible power._

"Seriously?" Issei said, staring at his left arm in awe. "That's so amazing!"

"However," Rias continued. "That is precisely why we need to increase your base strength, skill, and battle sense."

"What do you mean, Buchou?" Issei asked curiously.

"The major weakness of your Boosted Gear is that it takes time for you to double your strength," Rias explained. "You need to be able to evade the opponent until enough time has passed such that your power has been boosted enough to defeat your opponent. Furthermore, the stronger you are in your normal state, both the greater the boosted power becomes and the more you can increase it."

Issei furrowed his brow and cocked his head. "I don't get it."

"Imagine that you are a truck, Ise," Rias said. "Every time you boost your strength, a package is added to that truck. However, you can't keep adding more packages – that is, you can't keep boosting your strength – infinitely. At a certain point, the truck will not move. By increasing your strength, however, it's like you get a stronger and better truck. This not only allows you to carry more packages, but bigger and heavier ones as well. Do you understand now, Ise?"

"Yeah, I think so," Issei nodded.

"Ise," Rias said in a very calm, serious tone. "Do not forget this: You are the only one here who has the ability to defeat Riser Phenex. Your Boosted Gear is key. So train hard, Ise."

"I will, Buchou!" Issei said enthusiastically.

"Good," Rias smiled. "Then go put the luggage away. Afterward, get changed and meet us back out here."

"Yes, Buchou," Issei said as he grunted and heaved the bags he had been carrying back onto his back and began trudging his way to the elaborate villa.

"Come on, Hiraga-kun," Kiba said. "We should hurry up, too."

Saito nodded, picking up his bags and following after Kiba. Thus, the first day of training began.

**-Scene Break-**

"Uwoooh!" Issei shouted as he swung his wooden sword downward.

Saito watched as Kiba dodged Issei's wild slash with ease by simply stepping to the side. Unbalanced as he was, Issei was then left wide open to a light rap against his head by Kiba's wooden blade. Wincing at the blow, Issei shouted wordlessly as he brought his sword up at a diagonal angle, aiming for Kiba's flank.

Kiba moved diagonally forward, to the opposite side from which Issei's sword was coming from, causing it to hit nothing but air. Once more, Kiba rapped Issei across the head.

Saito had known from the fight with Raynare and her exorcists that Issei was not a skilled fighter at all. At that time, however, he had had the advantage of being able to promote to a Queen, so his lack of skill did not matter as much. He had been able to simply bull through everything with brute force. Against Kiba, such a tactic was neither available nor viable. With light steps, Kiba was dancing absolute circles around Issei. The frustration born from being unable to strike his opponent quickly consumed Issei, making his attacks become more and more wild; less and less accurate.

"Ise-kun," Kiba said. "You can't just watch the opponent's sword in a fight. You have to widen your field of vision and pay attention to their entire body, and the surroundings as well."

"I got it!" Issei said as he made a surprisingly accurate thrust for Kiba's chest. "Die, damn handsome!"

Kiba twisted his body casually, avoiding Issei's thrust by a hairsbreadth, and then brought his sword swinging into Issei's flank. Issei grunted in pain as he fell to his knees, clutching his side, sword dropped on the grass.

"That's enough," Rias called out from the sidelines, where she watched with Saito and the others. "Good try, Ise."

"Thanks..." Issei groaned as he rose to his feet and moved to the sidelines.

"Now then. Saito," Rias said, looking at him. "It's your turn."

Saito nodded. He slung Derflinger off of his back and set it on the ground. Walking over to where Issei had left his wooden sword on the ground, Saito picked it up, ignoring the expectant look that was on both Rias's and Kiba's face. It was unfortunate. They seemed eager to see what he was capable of – Kiba more so than Rias – but even though he held the wooden sword in his hands, Saito could not feel the familiar warmth of the Gandalfr's runes being activated.

Saito frowned as he held his sword with both hands and faced Kiba. In this spar, he would have to rely only on his normal strength and the muscle memory that had been imprinted into his body by the experience of fighting as the Gandalfr.

Frankly, Saito wasn't sure if that would be enough against Kiba.

"Begin!" Rias said.

Saito didn't rush forward. Instead, he slowly began to close the distance, keeping his sword in front of him in a basic but solid fighting stance. Kiba began circling Saito, sword up and held ready.

_Five... No, four more steps,_ Saito thought as he measured the amount of distance left before he would be within striking range. _Three... Two... One!_

Saito lunged forward, closing the remaining gap between him and Kiba, and swung his blade down towards Kiba's collarbone. Kiba raised his sword and blocked. Clenching his teeth, Saito bulled forward, aiming to tackle Kiba. It was a rough and sloppy technique, but Kiba was fairly lean, so Saito was confident that if it came to a contest of simple strength, he could win.

Instead of tackling into him, however, Saito felt himself stumbling forward as Kiba easily circled to his side, dodging the attack. By sticking out one foot, Kiba then tripped Saito, causing him to fall face first into the grass and dirt.

"Ouch," Saito muttered as he picked himself back up.

"Hiraga-san," Kiba said, frowning. "Why aren't you taking this seriously?"

Saito held back a twinge of annoyance at Kiba's words. "That was my best," Saito replied, carefully keeping his bitterness from leaking through his words.

Kiba looked perplexed. "But those movements you showed back at the church and when you defended Ise-kun... I know you can do better than this, Hiraga-san."

Saito shook his head. He looked down at the wooden sword in his hands. "Without a real weapon, this is the best I can do."

"How is it different?" Kiba said, confused. "Certainly, the weight of a real weapon and a wooden replica may differ somewhat, but the techniques and skills are still easily transferable."

"It is different for me," Saito insisted. "If you'll allow, let me fight with my sword while keeping it in its sheath and I'll show you what I mean."

Kiba frowned, but nodded. "All right. If you really think it'll make a difference."

Walking over to where Derflinger lay, Saito bent over and picked it up, dropping his wooden sword in its place. Upon placing his hand on the hilt, Saito felt the Gandalfr's runes activate beneath his glove, its warmth pulsating against his skin. Returning to face Kiba, Saito held Derflinger with his right hand in front of him.

"Ready when you are," Saito said.

Kiba nodded. "Begin."

Saito smiled. Then he dashed forward. It was a very simple, straightforward movement, but even so, Saito nearly vanished from the eyes of all those watching. He moved so fast that he became a blur. One moment, he had been standing nearly twelve feet away from Kiba. In the very next instant, Saito had reappeared in front of the Knight. Kiba's eyes went wide as he realized Saito had seemingly teleported in front of him. He quickly swiped his wooden sword in a defensive, warding blow, but Saito easily circled around behind Kiba, dodging the attack with sheer speed. Once he had taken Kiba's back, Saito used the blunt side of the sheathed blade to make a sweeping stroke aimed at the side of the Knight's legs. The force of the blow was enough to lift Kiba into the air, spinning him once, before he fell to the ground on his back. The tip of Derflinger's sheath hovered inches away from Kiba's throat, thus ending the fight.

All this happened in less than three seconds.

Kiba, as well as Rias and the rest of her Peerage, gawked at Saito. Saito gawked at Saito. This wasn't like his usual Gandalfr self. He was faster than before. Stronger, too. His senses and reflexes felt sharper than usual as well. In every respect, he could feel that he was vastly better than he was just a few days ago.

What was going on? What had happened that made his Gandalfr abilities so much stronger?

The light bulb in Saito's head clicked almost immediately in a sudden epiphany.

It wasn't that the abilities of the Gandalfr that had changed. It was that he himself had changed. He was no longer a human. He was a devil, a species that was physically superior to normal humans in nearly every regard. Therefore, when the Gandalfr's runes increased his power, it was starting from a greater base amount than before.

Convenient.

"Holy shit," Issei mouthed, similarly shocked by Saito's improvement.

"Akeno," Rias said, still gawking. "I did reincarnate Saito as a Pawn and not a Knight, right?"

"Indeed you did, Buchou," Akeno confirmed, looking just as mystified.

"... Wow," was all Koneko said.

Saito held out one hand to Kiba. He grinned and took it. With a strong tug, Saito pulled Kiba back onto his feet. When he stumbled with shaky legs, Saito quickly grabbed Kiba and supported his body. Asia rushed over to Kiba's side and knelt down beside his legs. A soft green glow emitted from her hands. Seconds later, Kiba was supporting himself with his own two feet once more. He thanked her gratefully before turning to Saito.

"That was incredible, Hiraga-kun!" Kiba enthused honestly. "I thought I knew your speed from having seen you fight before, but this was completely different. You caught me totally off guard with your speed."

"Thanks," Saito said a little sheepishly. "Honestly, I surprised myself. I think it's because I became a devil that made me stronger and faster than before."

"Well, whatever the case, that power is definitely reassuring to have around on our side," Kiba complimented. He grinned. "Though, I have to say, as a Knight, it was a blow to my pride that a human was as fast as me. If you're now even faster, I think I might get jealous."

"Sorry," Saito chuckled. "But I don't think I can help you there."

"Anyway, how about we go for another round?" Kiba asked. "That one was too short for us to properly gauge what you're fully capable of, I think."

"If Buchou permits it," Saito shrugged.

Kiba looked towards Rias, who nodded. "I agree with Kiba, Saito," Rias said. "Please, continue."

Saito nodded. Then, the swordsmen took twenty paces away from each other – a distance which would be unreasonably large for a normal sword duel, but quite frankly too small for Saito and Kiba, whose inhuman speeds made such a distance almost worthless. Wordlessly, they nodded to each other as the signal to begin.

This time, Kiba moved first. With all the speed of a Knight, he zigzagged towards Saito, aiming to use his speed to disorient him. But the Gandalfr was able to easily perceive Kiba's movements with perfect clarity. Saito carefully watched Kiba as he moved, his eyes tracking Kiba's path. Keeping Derflinger loosely at his side, Saito waited for Kiba's attack.

The Knight came from the front, feinted an attack, then quickly circled around behind Saito, only to find that there was no one standing in front of him. Kiba's eyes widened as he immediately whirled around, bringing his wooden sword up in a guarding position in the same motion. Kiba only narrowly managed to block a diagonal slash across his back from Saito's sword.

As soon as the two blades parted, Kiba leaped back in order to put some distance between the two. But Saito pursued, maintaining an arm's reach distance between the two, even as he relentlessly let loose a flurry of attacks onto Kiba. With a strained expression, Kiba managed to block and parry each and every one of Saito's attacks, if only barely. But as the barrage continued, the difference in speed quickly began to show. Unable to match the speed of the Gandalfr, both escaping and attacking were impossible for the Knight, forcing him to remain constantly on the defensive instead. Even then, Kiba was not able to block every attack. Here and there, Derflinger slipped past Kiba's defenses and struck him sharply. And with only a wooden sword, he could not defend against the Gandalfr's superior strength for long. With each passing second, the wooden sword chipped, cracked, and splintered more and more. Each new assault brought the wooden blade closer to its breaking point. Until finally:

"Ha!" Saito shouted as he brought down a final stroke of the blade.

Kiba desperately brought up his wooden blade to block, but it was no use. At this point, it was simply too damaged and structurally unsound to be of use. The wood shattered and the splinters sprayed out in every direction. Kiba grunted in pain as Derflinger smashed down on his right shoulder, its momentum hardly even having slowed, causing him to drop to one knee.

"Ugh," Kiba grimaced as right arm dangled uselessly, his left gingerly holding onto his damaged shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Saito asked with concern. Despite the strenuous fight, Saito looked completely fresh, save for the sweat that covered his face in a thin sheen.

"I'm fine," Kiba said. He too was sweating, but unlike Saito, he looked more tired. He smiled weakly. "Good fight, Hiraga-kun. You win."

"Thanks," Saito said. He added apologetically a moment after, "Sorry about your shoulder."

"It's fine, it's fine," Kiba said, dismissing his concerns with a casual wave of his good arm. "Asia-san. Could you please?"

"Yes," Asia said as she hurried over to Kiba's side for a second time. She placed her hands over Kiba's shoulder as green light once more began emitting from Asia's hands. Moments later, Kiba rotated and flexed his newly healed shoulder, then nodded satisfactorily.

"Thank you, Asia-san," Kiba said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Asia beamed.

Rias approached Saito.

"I don't understand," Rias said slowly. "I don't sense a Sacred Gear in you, Saito. So how are you, a Pawn, faster than Kiba, a Knight?"

Saito glanced at Rias. "Ah. I should have informed you of my abilities earlier. My mistake." He nodded once. "It's because I am the Gandalfr."

"The Gandalfr?" Rias cocked her head, frowning with confusion.

Saito tucked Derflinger underneath his armpit, pinning it against his body with his arm. Then, he took off the glove from his left hand and showed Rias the runes on the back of it. Without a weapon in hand, they remained dim in their unactivated state.

"These are the runes of the Gandalfr," Saito explained. "It grants me the ability to use any weapon, giving me an instinctive understanding of how they work. Whether it be a knife, a gun, a fighter jet, a battleship, or whatever else, it doesn't matter. I can use it. All weapons are mine to use. And to allow me to better use those weapons, these runes also strengthen and improve my body, multiplying all of my physical abilities and senses several fold, though to differing degrees depending on which aspect. My speed and senses are the most greatly improved and my durability the least.

"Furthermore, it can only be activated while I'm holding or touching a weapon. A _real_ weapon." Saito grabbed the hilt of the sword with his right hand, allowing Rias and the others to see as the runes began to shine on his left hand. "Hence why I couldn't use its power with the wooden sword."

"I don't think I've ever heard of a Sacred Gear that lets you do all of that," Kiba mused.

"That's because it's not a Sacred Gear," Saito said. "It's magic."

"Runic magic doesn't have the power to grant that kind of ability, either," Rias said as she carefully studied the runes. "And it's certainly not one of the other branches of magic."

"From what I understand, the magic used was supposedly long since lost, and very unique," Saito said as he withdrew his hand, putting his glove back over it.

"When did you get this?" Rias asked, looking evenly at Saito.

Saito shrugged. "Last year."

Rias narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Saito said, arching an eyebrow. "Why?"

Rias shook her head. "No. Never mind, for now," Rias said. "Let's get back to training."

**-Scene Break-**

Rias quietly sipped at her soup and nodded satisfactorily at its taste. Training had ended for the day, and they had all gathered in the modestly extravagant dining hall for a satisfying dinner made by Akeno and Asia.

Rias had already known that Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba – half of her Peerage – were at a level in which these ten days of training would do nearly nothing for them. The focus, then, had been on the three newest additions to her Peerage: Asia, Issei, and Saito. And while the first day of training had gone well, it had shown some weaknesses and shortcomings in her newest Pieces.

Asia had done excellently in her demonic power training, having been able to use magic at a sufficient level to be of use in combat. However, this was entirely offset by her crippling weakness: a complete and total lack of battle sense. If it came down to it, Asia would be incapable of defeating even a particularly aggressive human, let alone another devil. Not that Rias would have done anything as foolish as sending Asia into combat, of course. Twilight Healing made it far more beneficial to keep Asia in the back lines until absolutely necessary, making sure that she stayed safe and healthy enough to be able to heal the rest of her Peerage. Outnumbered as they were, she was their lifeline. Still, this meant that there were only really five people left to fight Riser and his Peerage. Unlike Riser, who had the benefit of being immortal, Rias could not risk putting herself in the front lines without a good reason, since if she was defeated it would spell an instant loss for her Peerage.

Issei had been disappointing all around. His demonic power was incredibly weak, his physicality was below average, at best, and his battle sense was less than a normal person's. However – and this was something Rias found herself very much approving of – he had an unrelenting determination. Though he complained occasionally, Issei would always, without fail, stand back up when he fell. He endured everything. It was thanks to that attitude that Issei was able to make large improvements after only a single day of training. Why, he had gone from being unable to dodge even a single one of Kiba's sword strikes to being able to dodge two!

… Rias decided, then, that she would take whatever improvement she could get out of Issei.

As for Saito, Rias found herself pondering about matters beside just his performance in training. Of the three, he had done the best, though his strengths remained extremely specialized and conditional. His demonic power, like Issei, was atrocious, with Saito only being marginally better than his fellow Pawn. While Issei had managed to only gather rice grain's worth of demonic power, Saito had managed to collect one the size of an undersized grape. However, what Saito lacked in demonic power and magic, he more than made up for with his combat skills and physical prowess. So long as he held a weapon, neither Kiba nor Koneko had been a match for him in any of their spars. Kiba especially had been thoroughly outclassed. Saito was faster than him, stronger than him, and more skilled than him.

Of course, Rias knew that that pertained only insofar as they kept their matches to a spar. Kiba had been holding back by not using his Sacred Gear, Sword Birth. If they had truly battled, Rias wasn't entirely certain who would win.

Either way, the power of the Gandalfr would be most useful to have on her side.

And there it was. That was what Rias found herself ruminating mostly about. The Gandalfr. She had never heard of such a term before, nor had she heard of magic that artificially granted a person the ability to instantly use any weapon and boosted their physical ability to be at the very least on par with a Knight's. It was curious. It was very curious.

And it was a clue.

Something had happened to Saito last year that involved the supernatural. Though whatever it was, Rias could not begin to guess.

Just as she could not begin to guess why Saito had propped up his sword on a chair adjacent to him as if it was a person and placed a bowl of soup before it.

"Um... Hiraga-san?" Asia said, giving him a curious look. "Why do you have your sword on a chair? And why did you give it soup?"

"It likes the smell," Saito said offhandedly, as if it were an obvious thing. He grabbed a piece of bread and bit into it, chewing it carefully. He swallowed, then frowned as he noticed that everyone was staring at him as if he had gone crazy. "What?"

"Your sword... likes the smell?" Kiba coughed politely. "Hiraga-san. This is a little hard for me to ask, but you didn't hit your head while sparring with Koneko-chan today, did you?"

Koneko lightly hit Kiba's arm from beside him, causing him to wince, though he never let his gaze leave Saito.

"Oh right," Saito smacked his forehead with his palm. "I forgot. I never introduced you guys." Saito nodded once. "Everyone, this is my sword, partner, and best friend, Derflinger. Derf, say hi."

Rias and everyone else had only a second to consider the notion that Saito had gone completely insane before the quillon of the sword moved as if it were a mouth, and a metallic voice said, "Yo!"

Everyone remained stunned for nearly a minute as they gawked at the sword. Being the first to recover from the shock, Issei said in a most eloquent fashion, "Holy shit! Your sword just talked!" Though, the way he was coughing and choking on some food had detracted from the delivery of his succinct statement.

"Thank you, thank you. And for my next trick, I will perform the dance of my people," Derflinger said sarcastically.

"But... You're a sword," Issei said, perplexed, as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a drink of water. "You can't dance, can you?"

"... He's not very bright, is he, Partner?" Derflinger asked Saito.

"Hey!" Issei protested.

Saito rolled his eyes and futilely tried to repress a grin.

"I don't believe it," Kiba murmured in awe. "Your sword is sentient. I mean, _truly_ sentient. I've heard of swords with wills of their own that can choose its wielder, but this is the first time I've ever seen an actual thinking, speaking, sentient sword."

Derflinger snorted; a harsh, grating sound. "Please. Those other swords having _nothing_ on me, the Great Derflinger."

"... Arrogant sword," Koneko said, pausing only briefly from her meal to make a comment. Of all those there, only Koneko had not stopped to eat after Derflinger's introduction, remaining the most unperturbed from the disturbance.

"Nyeh," Derflinger said, making a sound as if he had just stuck its nonexistent tongue out at the petite white-haired girl.

Koneko frowned, her face taking on an angry and annoyed but cute expression, then responded by sticking her tongue out at Derflinger before returning to her meal. Rias shook her head with amusement at the immaturity of it all.

"Out of curiosity," Kiba said, looking at Saito. "Where did you find a sentient sword, Hiraga-kun?"

"Well, interesting story, that," Derflinger said. "You see, it involved an immovable stone, a prophecy of kings and heroes, and-"

"I found him rusting in the corner of a run down weapons shop," Saito interrupted flatly. "He was the cheapest sword ever sold out of that store. The owner practically begged me to take him away because of how much Derf was driving away customers."

"Partner!" Derflinger cried out in a betrayed tone. "How could you say that? That takes away from the mystique and value of being the first sentient sword that these guys have ever met!"

"Nothing comes from hiding the truth, Derf," Saito said jokingly, grinning widely from ear to ear. "Besides, I'm sure you would have done a great job of taking away from the mystique on your own if I let you speak for long enough, anyway."

"Traitor," Derflinger grunted bitterly.

Rias smiled at the banter, even as she began turning her mind to more serious matters. Rias set down her spoon on the table and cleared her throat with a serious expression. "I'm glad you said that, Saito, because there is something I've been meaning to speak to you about."

Saito's grin slowly faded away into an unamused line as he turned his head to look at Rias. "Oh? And what would that be, Buchou?"

Rias leaned in, planting her elbows on the table and interlacing her fingers together, forming a cradle for her chin to rest on.

"To keep it simple," Rias said, "what happened to you this past year? Where have you been?"

Saito glanced aside, briefly, unwilling to meet Rias's gaze. "... What do you mean?"

"Hiraga Saito," Rias said sternly. "Were you not the one who just said that nothing comes from hiding the truth? Why, then, are you hiding the truth now? Where and what happened to you this past year that caused you, a formerly completely normal boy with no prior connection to the supernatural, to suddenly reappear in the company of fallen angels and with runes of unknown magical nature which grant exceptional abilities imprinted on the back of your hand?"

"You researched me," Saito stated, his eyes cold, hard agates. "Why?"

"It naturally came up when your transfer to Kuoh Academy was being dealt with," Rias said indifferently. "After all, a missing child report isn't very easy to hide from your records. Now, as far as I can tell, it appears that you come from a happy family, so I think being a runaway is unlikely. Judging from those magic runes, what I assume, then, is that you were kidnapped by a magician who experimented on you."

Everyone turned to stare at Saito in surprise, except for Akeno who merely watched Saito intently.

"Is that true, Hiraga-san?" Issei asked. "Were you really kidnapped by a magician?"

"Close enough," Saito grunted as he began to stand up. "Thanks for the meal. I think I'm done now."

"Saito, wait," Rias ordered sternly, causing Saito's mouth to compress into a thin, silently angry line, as he stared at her and sat back down.

"What is it, Buchou?" Saito said with ill-hidden testiness.

"If you'd like, I can have everyone else leave so it's just the two of us. So please answer the question," Rias said. "What happened to you?"

"I don't see how it's relevant to you," Saito said, not even bothering to hide the anger in his voice. "It won't impact any plans you might make in any way. It's not necessary for you to know."

Though Saito was becoming increasingly irritable over the matter, Rias still pressed on. Saito was a part of her Peerage now. That meant he was family. And since she was the head of that family, she needed to know about those of her Peerage – their past and their pains.

"Saito," Rias said. "Whatever happened to you, it is clear that it was not a pleasant experience. But it is precisely because of that that keeping such a thing bottled up within you will only eat you from the inside out. So talk to me, Saito. You can trust me. You can trust all of us."

"Ah, shit..." Derflinger muttered.

Saito clenched his jaw tightly as he glared at Rias through half-lidded eyes, angry lines appearing on his brow. "Trust... you, was it? _You?_"

"Saito?" Rias frowned at her Pawn's tone. "What's wrong?"

"Partner," Derflinger said sharply. "Calm down."

Saito glanced briefly at the sentient sword before he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Then he slowly exhaled. "Right. Right. I'm calm. Picture of serenity. Thanks, Derf," Saito said as he opened his eyes. With an expressionless gaze, Saito looked at Rias. Then he tsked and frowned. Looking back at Derflinger, Saito said, "Never mind. I don't think I can do this. Derf, you take care of this for me. I'm going to bed."

"Sure thing, Partner," Derflinger said understandingly as Saito stood up and walked away.

"Ah, hold on, Saito!" Rias called out, half rising from her own chair and reaching out to him in a futile gesture.

But instead of waiting, Saito left the room without another word. Rias sat back down and sighed exasperatedly. Planting one elbow on the table, Rias braced her forehead with the pocket in between her thumb and forefinger, covering her eyes with the bottom of her palm. She shook her head, aggrieved.

"Derflinger, right?" Rias finally said, looking at the sentient sword. "Can you tell me why Saito is so angry at me?" Rias grimaced bitterly. "Akeno told me his reasons why he doesn't like Peerages. Is that why? Because I made him into my Pawn?"

"Eh. Sort of, but not entirely," Derflinger said. He sighed, a sound that came out like air passing through rusty old pipes. "A part of it is because he's afraid."

"Afraid?" Rias furrowed her brow. "Afraid of what?"

"Of the Evil Piece inside of him," Derflinger said. "He's afraid that since he is your slave-"

"Servant," Rias automatically corrected.

"Whatever," Derflinger snorted. "Since he's your _servant,_ he's afraid that the Evil Piece will eventually take control of his mind in order to make him more subservient and devoted to you, if it hasn't already. He's afraid that he'll cease to be himself by having his free will taken away, without him ever even realizing it. He's been worried about this since day one of his life as a devil. That's why he doesn't trust you or even his own thoughts about you. None of the good thoughts, anyway." The sword chuckled softly. "To tell the truth, after he learned that he had become your Pawn, he seriously contemplated murdering you in your sleep in an effort to maintain his free will."

"He what!?" Issei yelped while Rias and the others felt their eyes widen with shock and horror at the casual confession of planned murder.

"Settle down, kid," Derflinger said. "He's long since decided that he won't do that, since that big boobed redhead did save his life."

"Big boobed redhead?" Rias murmured incredulously, shaking her head slowly.

"Because he highly values his life debts, correct?" Akeno said to the sword.

"Yeah," Derflinger said. "Though, what he didn't tell you at that time, big boobed black-haired girl, is that he's not entirely sure if it's really _him_ who said that he'll pay big boobed redhead's cost by serving her, or if it was the Evil Piece inside of him making him say it. He isn't certain that if he was still human and free, he would still decide to pay a cost that potentially involved giving up his free will, even if only in part."

"That is _not_ how the Evil Pieces work," Rias said indignantly.

"So you say," Derflinger said nonchalantly. "And you know what? That might be true, just as you say. But how can partner or I be sure of that? After all, as a King, you have every incentive to make sure that none of your slaves – excuse me, _servants_ – are aware of any hidden brainwashing effects that the Evil Pieces might have."

"That's why Saito is angry at me?" Rias said incredulously.

"Well..." Derflinger hedged. "It's not that he's really _angry_ at you. It's more like he absolutely hates your guts."

Derflinger's words hit Rias like a truck, causing her to reel back in shock as if struck by a physical blow. All of the Gremory family were known throughout the Underworld for their great love of their Peerage. To them, a Peerage was an addition to their family; each member was to be cherished and shown tender care. And it was precisely for that reason that Derflinger's words hurt Rias so badly.

"He... He hates me?" Rias choked out. "All because of that misunderstanding?"

"No, not just because of that," Derflinger said. "Like I said, that is only a part of it."

"Then why?" Rias found herself demanding the sword.

Derflinger sighed. "Look. I apologize on my partner's behalf. It's really not your fault. It's because of everything that's happened to him this past year. He's just transferring his thoughts and feelings from those experiences onto you." Derflinger didn't shrug, because it was a sword, so it couldn't. But his tone when he spoke again made it clear that if he could shrug, he would have. "Not much you can do about that, I'm afraid."

Rias found herself grinding her teeth in frustration. There it was again. Saito's mysterious past year. Rias clenched her teeth together so hard, that she felt as though her teeth were about to break. This was aggravating beyond belief. Finally she had learned something about Saito's past, but only insofar that it was the root cause of Saito's distrust and hatred of her.

Rias was angry. In fact, she was downright furious. There was something or someone out there that was the reason why there existed a rift between her and Saito. Because of the actions of some other people or some other things, their relationship as family had been damaged to the point of nonexistence before it even had a chance to start.

"Derflinger," Rias said, practically growling. "Please tell me what exactly happened to Saito."

"I will not," Derflinger said flatly. "I am just a sword. My partner's sword, at that. It's not proper for me to be the one to explain partner's past to others, especially not when he himself doesn't want it to be shared."

"Derflinger, please," Rias said, a pleading note tinging her voice. "I _need_ to know. Otherwise, I can never figure out how to truly fix the hate and distrust Saito has for me. If I don't figure out what happened to him, it's the same as relegating Saito as a mere tool because he won't ever let us become a true family."

For a moment, Derflinger remained as silent as a normal sword. Though the sentient blade had no eyes to see out of, Rias could somehow feel that the sword was observing her anyway – a creeping sensation that felt not unlike insects crawling on her skin.

"And what's wrong with that?" Derflinger said slowly. "Why should it bother you? My partner is strong. It should be fine if you just use him as a tool, right? You own his life, after all. Master and slave. Hell, if you really want him to act like your son or brother or something, just order him to. He'll have to obey."

"No!" Rias slapped one hand down on the table, causing it to briefly shake – some of the soup and water spilling out of their bowls and cups. "That is not it! A Peerage is not just a relationship of servitude. A Peerage is a family; a group of comrades who are bound together by bonds stronger than mere blood. _That_ is what a Peerage should be. That is the kind of Peerage I want. But so long as Saito keeps his distance, that can never truly be made a reality for us. Therefore, I ask you once again: please tell me what happened to Saito."

Once more, the sword fell silent. "You really mean that, don't you?" Derflinger said quietly. "You really think of him as your family."

"Yes," Rias said just as quietly.

The sound of escaping air came from Derflinger's hilt. "I won't tell you what happened to him in the past," Derflinger said.

"But-" Rias began.

"However," Derflinger cut her off. "I will tell you two things. The first is how to get him to talk. The second is a clue."

Rias leaned in excitedly. Finally they were getting closer to the truth. "What are they?"

"All you need to do is just have the nun girl over there be the one to ask him the questions," Derflinger said.

Asia blinked for a moment, before realizing that Derflinger was apparently talking about her. She pointed at herself in surprise, and said, "You mean me, Sword-san?"

"Yeah, you," Derflinger said. "You saved my partner's life. That means that there's pretty much nothing that he won't do for you, even if he doesn't want to. All you guys have to do is have nun girl here be the one to ask the questions. He'll answer for sure."

"In other words, call in his life debt," Akeno mused thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Derflinger agreed. "He always does his best to pay those back. Be careful, though. If you use this method, he'll hate you all forever."

"Which defeats the entire point of having him open up to us," Rias sighed. "What's the second thing? The clue?"

"Take a look at his bare back without him noticing, if you can," Derflinger said indifferently.

"His back?" Rias frowned. "How would we do that?"

Akeno giggled. "Isn't it obvious, Buchou? We'll just have to peek at him while he's taking a bath in the open air onsen!"

"Wait, big boobed black-haired girl," Derflinger said. "What's an onsen?"

"You know," Akeno narrowed her eyes at Derflinger. "Buchou and I do have names, and they're not 'big boobed girl.'"

"Bah," Derflinger grunted. "You organic beings all look the same to me – except for partner. How am I supposed to remember individual names when there's so many of you running around? Just answer the question. What's an onsen?"

"Onsen – hot springs – are a large bathing facility meant to be used by multiple people at once," Akeno said, pursing her lips disapprovingly at the sentient sword. "Open air onsen is an onsen set outside."

"If that's the case," Derflinger said, "then there's one more thing I can tell you guys."

"What is it?" Rias said.

"If you go to this 'onsen' right now, you'll be able to find my partner there," Derflinger said.

"But didn't he say that he was going to bed?" Rias pointed out.

Derflinger snorted. "He lied so that he could take a bath alone while you guys were busy talking with me."

"I see," Rias said. "Thank you, Derflinger. But I have one more question for you."

"What is it?" Derflinger said. "Best make it quick, otherwise partner is going to finish and go to sleep for real."

"Why are you helping us?" Rias asked. "Isn't this like betraying Saito?"

Derflinger sighed. "Look. I love my partner, plain and simple. Weird for a sword to say that, I know, but it's true. All I want is what's best for him. But right now, he's still suffering from what happened in the past. And I'm just a sword. I can't really do much to help him get over that. What he needs is a person to help him, not a weapon. And you seem like a good person, Rias Gremory. All of you do. Himejima Akeno. Toujou Koneko. Kiba Yuuto. Asia Argento. Hyoudou Issei. You all seem like good people. That's why I am trusting all of you to help my partner out. I want you guys to help him get over the past. Please."

Rias smiled fiercely. "We will."

**-Scene Break-**

Akeno had to stifle a laugh that threatened to bubble out uncontrollably. Hidden within the cover of trees and bushes beside her, Rias shot Akeno a dirty look.

"Shh," Rias whispered seriously.

Akeno grinned widely with amusement, though she successfully managed to repress the laughter.

Despite the seriousness of their mission, Akeno couldn't help but find the entire thing rather funny. While everyone else were busy cleaning up after dinner, Akeno and Rias had sneaked into the forest that partially encircled the men's onsen. Hidden within the cover of nature, the two were quietly watching Saito, who was currently soaking inside the onsen's water, leaving Akeno and Rias unable to see his back.

"You know," Akeno whispered. "I expected this kind of behavior from Ise-kun. Not from ourselves."

"Akeno," Rias muttered sternly. "We are not peeking. We are following up on a clue provided to us by Derflinger – one that will hopefully allow us to figure out something from Saito's past."

"True," Akeno agreed. "But we're doing so by peeking."

Rias made an exasperated, strangled sound, but said nothing as she kept her focus trained on Saito. Unable to help herself, Akeno pressed further, teasing Rias.

"I wonder what Lucifer-sama and Grayfia-sama would think if they knew that their beloved younger sister was in fact a voyeur," Akeno said melodramatically. "Ah... the shame it would bring."

"A. Ke. No." Rias uttered warningly through a clenched jaw.

"Yes, yes, Buchou," Akeno tittered softly.

Yet, contrary to her words and actions, Akeno quickly settled down and stared intently at Saito. Rias wasn't the only one who wanted to help Saito. Akeno did as well. For all that she might jest or tease, Akeno truly thought of herself as Saito's elder sister. Therefore, she would do all she could as Saito's sister to help him.

Slowly, Saito began to stir in the water. Akeno felt Rias tense beside her and they both stared without blinking. Then he stood up.

"Oh my!" Akeno whispered, her eyes twinkling with amusement, crinkling along the corners from the wide smile that spread on her face as she saw the entire front of Saito's body.

Beside her, Rias did not react at all. Instead, she continued watching clinically, her expression set and unmoving. Then Saito turned around, unwittingly showing them his back.

Akeno's eyes widened with horror and she swallowed down a lump that had formed in her throat. "Oh my," she murmured very, very softly.

When Derflinger had first told them to look at Saito's back, Akeno had not been entirely certain of what to expect. She had considered many possibilities, such as a remnant of some old wound, or a deformity, or something. She had considered many things. But this... This was not something Akeno had thought that she would find on Saito's back: Thick, ugly scars in such numbers and prevalence that they spread and covered nearly all of Saito's back, crisscrossing a countless number of times like a hideous web. Each scar held some story of a past torment. And for a fighter like Saito, they were completely out of place.

Akeno looked at the scars and she understood. Those were not things won on the battlefield. They were scars from the lashes of whips. Many, many lashes. So many lashes that Akeno couldn't even begin to count them all. But there was enough so that the myriad of scars intersected and layered on top of each other a countless number of times. Enough so that Akeno could hardly even find a square inch of unblemished skin on Saito's back. And far more than enough for Akeno to tremble violently with rage.

Someone, somewhere, had done this to Saito. They had tortured him. Him. Her little brother. Akeno ground her teeth together in anger. It was at that moment that Akeno promised herself one thing: if she ever found out who had done this to Saito, she would track them down and kill them for it.

Once Saito left the onsen, Akeno glanced aside at Rias. She too was trembling with rage, and Akeno understood that Rias had come to a very similar conclusion as Akeno. Quietly, she reached out to the King and placed a hand on her shoulder. Rias looked at Akeno, staring at her for a moment. Then she nodded, and the two of them quietly left their hiding place.

**-Scene Break-**

The sight of Saito's back, whipped and scarred, weighed heavily on Rias's mind as she sat alone on the couch in the living room, the soft, silver glow of the midnight moon shining down on her from the large windows that dominated the wall behind her.

Rias sighed as she leaned back against the couch. In her hands and on the table before her were a large amount of papers. On them were a variety of maps, notes, battle formations, and dozens of different strategies that she had formulated.

She couldn't put her mind into actually working on this. Right now, the single, enraging, all-consuming thought in Rias's head was finding out who did that to Saito's back and then killing them for it. It was unfortunate, however, that she had no leads to work off of in order to track down the culprit or culprits.

Perhaps, Rias mused, she could discuss it with Derflinger sometime soon. Maybe it would be willing to help again.

"Buchou?"

Rias looked to the side, seeing Issei standing there with a glass of water in hand.

"Ise?" Rias said. "Why are you still up?"

"I had some things I was thinking about," Issei said. "I didn't realize you had poor vision."

Rias chuckled as she fingered the reading glasses on her face. "No, these are just for appearances. I like wearing them because I feel like I concentrate better with them on."

"Oh, is that how it is?" Issei said understandingly. His eyes flicked to the papers before Rias. "Are you coming up with a strategy for the Rating Game, Buchou?"

"Sort of," Rias said. "I've already come up with a plan, but I still can't help but be anxious about it. So I'm just reviewing everything to give me a bit of peace of mind." Rias sighed. "Well, that's the only thing I can really do at this point."

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

"If it was any other devil, there are a variety of strategies that I could have prepared," Rias said. "But Riser is a Phenex. He is immortal. Given our circumstances, there aren't many plans we can make against him."

Rias bit her lips. Saying that there wasn't much room to make many plans was an understatement. In truth, against Riser Phenex and his Peerage, there was only one plan that could be used. Any other plan would be a simple variation of that same strategy.

All they could do was get Issei promoted, have him Boost his strength to a sufficient level, and then wipe out Riser in a single attack.

It was simple. If it worked, it would be effective. And it was also incredibly predictable.

Though there was truth in the adage that there was beauty in simplicity, that was only the case when there were also options available. In this case, with only one effective course of action, it would take a complete idiot to not understand just what Rias's goal was. And for all of Riser's faults, he was not an idiot. He definitely understood that Rias's strategy would be centered around Issei. Therefore, he would direct most of his Pieces into retiring Issei early on. If that happened, all chances of Rias winning would disappear. Even if Riser lost the vast majority of his Pieces in defeating Issei, it would still be his win. Rias and the rest of her Peerage simply did not have the power necessary to defeat the immortal Riser.

In the Rating Games, immortality was truly an unfair advantage, Rias thought bitterly.

"Buchou," Issei said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Rias replied. "What is it?"

"How come you don't want to marry Riser?"

Rias blinked at the frank question, staring at Issei. He squirmed slightly underneath her gaze and blushed. Rias smiled bitterly as she answered. "It's because he sees me only as a 'Gremory.'"

"Huh?" Issei cocked his head, confused. "Well, yeah. I mean, your name is Rias Gremory, right, Buchou?"

"That's not what I mean." Rias took off her glasses, folding them and setting it on the table. "You see, Riser doesn't love me because I am me. He only wants me because I am a woman from the Gremory family. To him, as well as to many other people, I am just Rias of House Gremory." Rias sighed wearily. "But that's not what I want. Don't get me wrong, Ise. I am proud of being a Gremory. I cherish the name. But even so, I want to meet a man who will love me for being me, not because I am of the Gremory clan. And if I ever want that little dream of mine to come true, we need to win this Rating Game. It is my only chance." She smiled at Issei. "That's why I'm sorry, but I ask you to help me and to endure this hard training, Ise. Please."

"I will, Buchou. But... to tell you the truth," Issei said quietly. "I'm really afraid. Even though I'm supposed to have some kind of really strong Sacred Gear, I've realized today that I myself am really, really weak. I mean, Hiraga-san was so amazing in today's training! He beat Kiba and Koneko in his spars against them. And Asia. Asia is amazing, too. Her skill with magic is way better than mine, and I already know firsthand how incredible and useful Twilight Healing is." Issei shook his head. "But me? I'm so weak that I can't even put up a fight against Kiba. My demonic power is so low that I can't even use the teleportation circle back at the clubroom. I'm just weak. And I'm so frustrated and afraid because of it."

"It's all right to be afraid of your first Rating Game, especially against someone like Riser," Rias said. "There's no shame in it."

Issei shook his head. "That's not it. I'm not afraid of that fried chicken bastard. What I'm afraid of is that because of my weakness, we'll lose. I'm really scared of that, and I don't want that to happen. I want you to be able to live your dream. That's why I want to win for your sake, because I like Buchou as Buchou."

Rias blinked at Issei, a slow smile spreading across her face. Her heart felt warm, touched by Issei's frank words. She set aside the assortment of papers and motioned for Issei to sit down on the couch beside her. He obeyed, setting his cup of water on top of the table as he sat down.

"Here," Rias said as she embraced Issei, gently resting his head on her bosom. Soothingly, she patted his head, like a mother would to her child. "Don't be afraid, Ise. Don't be frustrated either. You will become strong, and we will win this battle together. I believe in you."

**-Scene Break-**

"_Greetings, honored guests. I am Grayfia Lucifuge; maid of House Gremory and Queen of my master, Sirzechs Lucifer. I will serve as arbiter of this Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex. The battlefield is a complete replica of the school, Kuoh Academy. The Gremory side's base is the Occult Research clubroom in the old school building; the Phenex side's base is the student council room in the new school building. The time limit for this battle will be from now, midnight, until dawn. Let the game begin."_

**-Scene Break-**

"All right," Rias said as she stood in front of a large map posted on the wall. On it was the school grounds overlaid with grids to make it resemble a very large chessboard. "I'll first explain what our general plan of action will be before I get into the specifics, so listen carefully."

Everyone nodded from where they sat or stood as they focused intently on Rias.

"The main goal of our strategy is simple: get Ise Promoted to Queen," Rias said. "It is absolutely imperative that this happens. Once Ise is Promoted, we will be able to defeat Riser with his Boosted Gear."

"The problem, then, will be getting Ise-kun into the enemy base," Kiba commented.

Rias nodded. "Exactly. Even if we disregard the fact that we're heavily outnumbered, Riser will be lying in wait inside the enemy base. So long as he's there, Ise won't be able to Promote before he is retired. And realistically speaking, without Ise it will be impossible for us to defeat Riser. This makes things tough on us because Riser understands that as well. If he manages to locate Ise, he will stop at nothing to retire him. That is why, Ise, I am going to have you wait here with me and Asia while everyone else paves a path towards your Promotion."

"Eh?" Issei let out a surprised sound. "But, Buchou. We're already so outnumbered. Wouldn't it just make things worse if I don't fight as well?"

"Yes," Rias nodded. "It will certainly become much more difficult. Even so, we'll have to take that risk if we want to win. Until it is absolutely necessary, I want to keep you fresh and in your optimal condition for the fight against Riser. Even if you get Promoted, if you're too exhausted from fighting his Peerage, then everything will have been for naught."

"Speaking of which, how should we deal with Riser, then?" Kiba said. "If it is as you say, Buchou, then he'll just defend his base himself in order to prevent Ise-kun's Promotion. How are we to drag him out?"

"Yes," Rias said. "You're right. That is what he'll do. But even though as a Phenex he is immortal, as Riser he has some critical weaknesses. Namely, he is arrogant and narcissistic beyond belief. This works to our advantage in two ways. The first is that the thought of defeat in this Rating Game hasn't even crossed Riser's mind, not even as a joke. He believes that it is completely impossible for him to lose here. This means that he will probably be careless and sloppy with his strategy and the allocation of his troops."

Rias slapped one hand on the map, loudly. "We _must_ capitalize on this right from the opening phases of the game. It is our golden opportunity to whittle down Riser's forces while the battles remain relatively easy. Ideally, I'd like for at least half of Riser's Peerage to be retired during the early game, thereby eliminating the numbers advantage he holds over us. It will make it easier for when we try to get Ise to the enemy base in order to Promote, as well as for when we fight Riser himself. I'd also prefer that all of Riser's Pawns are retired at this point. It will be disastrous if there are eight additional Queens running about. If nothing else, though, I want Yubelluna, Riser's Queen, to be eliminated from the Game at this stage. She is the most dangerous one, aside from Riser himself."

Rias turned to look at Akeno. "That will be your job, Akeno."

"Understood, Buchou," Akeno replied, nodding.

Looking around at the rest of her Peerage, Rias said, "If any of you come across Yubelluna, then notify Akeno through your transceiver and run away. If you should meet Yubelluna, your primary objective should be to escape immediately. She is too strong for any of you, except for Akeno, to fight fairly. And with our numbers disadvantage, the loss of even a single one of you will be absolutely critical. No matter what, stay in the Game.

"The mid-game is where the most important steps of the plan will unfold. It is here that Riser's arrogance will work to our advantage a second time," Rias said. "I will challenge Riser to a duel. That will serve as bait for that guy, and he will come out to meet my challenge."

"Will that really work?" Saito asked skeptically.

Rias nodded. "It will. Riser is as arrogant and vain as a peacock. This makes him stupid. He'll see my challenge as a last ditch effort, a futile gamble that I have to take if I want to win. Therefore, for the sake of his pride, he won't back down. Or rather, it'd be more accurate to say that he _can't_ back down. This match is being watched by one of the four Satans, Sirzechs Lucifer, as well as a variety of other important individuals. If he backs down, then he'll appear as a coward to all of them, and it will severely damage his reputation, especially since the one he's fighting is a complete greenhorn to the Rating Games. I'm not even allowed to participate in official ones yet."

"I understand," Saito said.

Rias looked toward Issei. "While Riser remains distracted by me and Asia, you will make your way into Riser's base and Promote to Queen," Rias said. "Once that is complete, you will reinforce me and Asia and then we will blow away Riser Phenex together." Rias looked around at the others. "If any of you are not fighting an enemy around this time, you should also quickly come to help fight against Riser. Is that all clear?"

A round of nods answered Rias. She smiled briefly, but then set her mouth into a thin line.

"One more thing," Rias said. "For us, there is no end game. We _must_ win during the mid-game. If it goes on any longer than that, the difference in our numbers and the difference between an immortal and mortal body will begin to show itself too sharply. Once that happens, it will be one hundred percent impossible for us to win." Rias let out a breath. "Now, here are your positions."

**-Scene Break-**

Saito and Koneko moved stealthily through the forest surrounding the old school building in which the Occult Research clubroom resided. Their mission as the best fighter and most durable Piece of Rias's Peerage was a crucial one: to capture the gym, the centermost position on the battlefield. From there, they would have more leeway in their ability to maneuver around the battlefield. For the vastly outnumbered Gremory Peerage, mobility was a key factor for everything.

Once the two arrived outside of the gym, Saito pressed his back against the wall just beside the door, while Koneko did the same on the other side. Derflinger was already unsheathed and in Saito's hands, causing the runes of the Gandalfr on the back of his left hand to pulsate softly with warmth, though the shine of its light remained hidden by Saito's glove.

The Pawn and the Rook gave each other one look, then nodded. Silently, Saito creaked the door open while Koneko slipped inside. Saito waited three counts before following her in afterward. The gym was pitch black, but even so, Saito was able to see as clearly as though it were day – another convenient effect of being a devil.

Even without sight, however, Saito could practically feel the fighting spirit emanating from the center of the large gym floor. Saito narrowed his eyes as he looked at them. He recognized them all from the information that Rias had managed to collect about Riser's Peerage. Xuelan, a Rook that used Chinese martial arts; Ile and Nel, twin Pawns as short as Koneko that favored using chainsaws, of all things; and the same Pawn that had attempted to attack Issei a little over ten days ago, the pole using Mira.

"So you're finally here, servants of Gremory," Xuelan declared. "We were getting tired of waiting."

"It's called being fashionably late," Saito said drily.

Xuelan smirked as Ile and Nel revved up their chainsaws, sending loud, roaring noises echoing throughout the gym.

"Don't you know that you're not supposed to keep a lady waiting?" Xuelan said.

"I suppose that's why I've never had a girlfriend," Saito shrugged nonchalantly. "Unfortunate."

"Ha!" Xuelan let out a bark of laughter before she took her fighting stance; hands open and relaxed, body kept low and firmly balanced, like a tree with strong roots. "Now then. Let's begin."

"... Hiraga-senpai," Koneko muttered from beside Saito. "I'll take the Rook. You handle the Pawns."

"Right. But you know we're in the same grade, right?" Saito said as Koneko charged towards Xuelan, fists bared and ready to deliver a pint-sized beat down of superhuman strength.

Calmly, Saito walked in front of the other three Pawns, the back of Derflinger's blade resting against his shoulder, as he watched Koneko engage Xuelan. Due to her far shorter reach, Koneko was forced to step in aggressively, beyond Xuelan's easy reach, in order to get in range of her own attacks. Conversely, Xuelan made full use of her superior reach to deliver punishing kicks and long range punches in order to force Koneko away. To the casual observer, it appeared as though Xuelan had complete control over the fight. But to an experienced fighter like Saito, it was the opposite. The calm look on Koneko's face and the frustrated and increasingly panicking one on Xuelan's face told Saito that with every passing second, Koneko was getting closer and closer to closing the distance between the two and retiring the Phenex Rook.

"Hey, where do you think you're looking?"

Saito twisted his body just in time to avoid a pole thrust from Mira, who looked annoyed that Saito was not taking his own battle seriously enough to pay proper attention to it. Ile and Nel followed up just as Mira back away. Together, the two aimed high and low with their chainsaws; at Saito's neck and knees. Saito simply ducked and jumped away from the low attack, neatly avoiding them without a scratch.

Saito sighed as he looked at the three Pawns. "This is going to feel so weird having to fight against you three."

"Are you underestimating us because we're girls?" Mira demanded with frustration as she sent multiple stabbing strikes at Saito's upper body.

"Not at all," Saito remarked as he calmly avoided each thrust. "Some of the scariest and most powerful people I've ever known were women. It's just that... well, what adult can fight seriously against children?"

"Don't make fun of us!" Ile or Nel (Saito couldn't tell which twin was which) shouted angrily as she tried to attack Saito from behind with her very loud chainsaw.

With an almost ballet-like grace, Saito spun around, Derflinger sweeping through the air like a steel feather as it sliced the chainsaw using girl deeply across the width of her stomach. Though the attack was not instantly fatal, it was a mortal wound. The girl collapsed to the ground, her own blood pooling beneath her as she continued writhing in pain, letting out choking sounds of suffering as tears fell from her eyes. The girl's body became enveloped with light and slowly started to become transparent. A moment later, the body faded away, disappearing from the place.

"_Phenex side, Pawn has retired,"_ Grayfia's disembodied, omnipresent voice announced in a clinical, dispassionate tone.

"Nel!" the other chainsaw girl – Ile, apparently – cried out. She glared at Saito. "You bastard!"

With a loud battle cry, Ile attacks Saito with a wide slash of the chainsaw. Saito easily sidestepped the attack and cuffed her on her head with one hand.

"Funny thing about the chainsaw," Saito said in a lecturing tone. "It's not a real weapon. It's scary to fight against because of its loud noise and because one attack will mutilate your flesh beyond repair, but it's too clumsy and unwieldy to use against any real fighter."

"Shut up!" Ile snarled as she swung her chainsaw in a horizontal arc. "Mira! Help me!"

Mira nodded and began to launch her own fast flurry of attacks. However, with the speed and reflexes of the Gandalfr aiding him, Saito grabbed the pole at the first thrust. He winced slightly as a few splinters bit into his hand, but did not release his grip even when Mira tried to pull her weapon away from him. A quick slash from Derflinger severed the pole weapon in two. Then, Saito lunged forward, piercing Mira in the chest, causing blood to spurt out as the metal pierced flesh.

"Dammit..." Mira muttered bitterly as she too began shining with light and disappeared from the battlefield.

"_Phenex side, Pawn has retired."_

Turning to the now lone Pawn, Saito watched her for a moment, her eyes wide and a hint of fear within them. Then Saito blurred, moving at full speed as he charged Ile, circled around behind her, and cut her down just as she finally began to react to his initial forward charge with a clumsy, desperate swing of her chainsaw. The girl collapsed, then faded away with light.

"_Phenex side, Pawn has retired."_

Saito looked at Koneko. It appeared the battle was essentially over on her side as well. Xuelan was lying on her stomach on the lacquered floor, with Koneko pinning Xuelan from her back. One of Koneko's slender arms was wrapped around the Chinese martial artist's neck, her throat tucked into the inner side of the elbow joint, while her other hand and arm was braced against the back of Xuelan's head and used as leverage to help squeeze the choking arm tightly. So firmly did Koneko maintain her choke that Xuelan couldn't even make gasping sounds as she desperately struggled to free herself, her nails digging viciously into Koneko's flesh. Still, Koneko did not release her hold. And in a matter of seconds, Xuelan's eyes rolled back into her head, showing their whites, as she fell unconscious from lack of blood and oxygen to her brain. Yet, Koneko _still_ did not release her grip, until finally, Xuelan's body began shining with light as she disappeared from beneath Koneko, causing her to drop a few inches with a soft thumping sound.

"_Phenex side, Rook has retired."_

Saito walked over to Koneko and held out a hand to her. She took it and Saito pulled her back up to her feet.

"Good job," he said. "Is your arm all right?"

Koneko glanced at the scratches on her arm, then nodded once at Saito. Tapping a small communication device in her ear that Rias had handed out to all of them before the battle had started, Koneko said, "... Buchou. Gym has been captured."

"Good job," Saito heard Rias say through his own communicator. "Regroup with Kiba and move according to plan."

"... Rog-" Koneko began to say when an explosion suddenly thundered from the outside of the gym, shaking it strongly.

Saito didn't need to think. His instincts knew that this was an attack. He simply reacted. Saito immediately picked Koneko up bodily in his arms and began running for the door, even as another half-dozen explosions thundered from outside. Large sections of the ceiling caved in and dropped to the ground loudly. One of them crashed down in front of Saito, forcing him to skid to a halt in order to avoid being crushed by it. The stone and bricks that formed the walls of the gym continued to crumble and collapse as the entire gym began to fall down on top of them. Gritting his teeth, Saito rushed forward, kicked down the door, and dove outside, just as the rest of the gym finished collapsing into rubble.

Saito let out a breath of relief, resting his forehead against the cool grass. "That was close."

"... Hiraga-senpai. Please get off of me."

"Huh?" Saito said as he realized that he was lying on top of something soft and warm. He realized belatedly that it was Koneko, who was pinned down beneath his body due to his previous dive. "Oh, sorry," he said as he quickly stood up.

"... It's fine," Koneko said as she stood up as well. Then, her eyes widened as she seemed to look past Saito, over his shoulder. "Look out!"

Koneko shoved Saito aside, sending him almost flying as he landed on the ground three dozen feet away.

"Koneko!" Saito shouted as an explosion blossomed around the diminutive Rook, causing her to release a pained scream from within the bursting flames. When the explosion vanished, so too had Koneko.

"_Gremory side, Rook has retired."_

"Take," a tall, beautiful, bosom lady with wavy purple hair floating serenely in the sky, the batlike wings of a devil flaring outwards from her back, said in a calm, casual voice.

"Shit," Saito spat as he looked at the woman. "Yubelluna." Never allowing his gaze to leave the enemy Queen, Saito tapped the communication device in his ear. "Yubelluna is at the gym, Akeno-neesama."

"Understood," Akeno's voice replied, her voice as clear as though she were standing right beside him. "I'll be there. Retreat, Saito-kun."

"Acknowledged," Saito replied as he lowered Derflinger to his side in a relaxed stance.

Though Derflinger had the ability to absorb magic, it was not an all-powerful ability. It had its own limitations. It would not be able to, for example, absorb all of Yubelluna's explosion before it could damage Saito, if it landed right on top of him, as it did to Koneko. At best, it would only weaken the force of the attack. And because Saito was nowhere near as durable as a Rook, even a weakened explosion could potentially retire him.

Thus, there was little point in trying to maintain his guard. Right now, he needed to devote all of his energy and focus into his speed in order to escape. Saito took in a breath, and then bolted.

Moving to the back, Saito feinted an escape towards the cover of the forest surrounding the Gremory side's stronghold. Then he halted, his forward leg straining as he immediately turned around and accelerated in the opposite direction in a near instant, just in time to avoid the explosion that burst from where he would have been a second later if he had continued to run in that direction.

More explosions bloomed as Yubelluna attempted to strike based on her predictions of Saito's movements. But by continuing to weave erratic, unpredictable patterns, Saito prevented the enemy Queen from getting a lock on him. However, Saito understood that this would not be able to continue forever. Every time there was an explosion, it left a deep crater in the ground, causing the grass, dirt, and pebbles to spray throughout the air and on Saito. The longer this game went on, the more and more uneven Saito's foothold would become, thereby limiting his speed and mobility.

Fortunately, Saito thought, he didn't need to keep this up for long. Lightning roared through the air towards Yubelluna, who defended with a barrier made of demonic energy. Saito's mouth spread into a feral grin. At last, his reinforcement had arrived.

"Saito-kun," Akeno said through her communicator as she faced off against Yubelluna in the sky. Electricity danced all around her in an ominous way. "Go. Move according to plan. I will defeat Yubelluna."

"Understood," Saito replied as he quickly retreated from the battleground. Behind him, he could hear the thunder of lightning and explosions rend the air apart as the battle between Queens began in earnest. "Good luck, Akeno-neesama."

**-Scene Break-**

"_Phenex side, three Pawns have retired."_

**-Scene Break-**

Mid-game.

Rias pursed her lips as she considered the state of the game. Thus far, Riser had lost six Pawns and a Rook. However, Rias had lost Koneko, her one and only Rook. Even though mathematically the trade was exceptional, tactically Rias was still the one that was worse off. Not only did Riser have another Rook, but because Rias was holding Issei back and since Asia was not a fighter, it was now Riser's eight Pieces against Rias's three. An overwhelming disadvantage.

In truth, Rias would have preferred to wait until Riser's Peerage had been whittled down further. However, stalling any more than this would likely spell her own defeat, since it was more probable than not that her Peerage would be the one to be eliminated first. It was the mid-game now, and that meant it was time to begin the next phase of the plan.

"Ise," Rias said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Buchou!" Issei said with fierce determination.

"Good," Rias said. "Get going." Issei nodded and quickly left the clubroom. Once he was gone, Rias tapped the communication device in her ear and said, "Ise has left the base. Anyone who isn't fighting needs to meet up with him and ensure his Promotion." Rias looked at Asia and smiled. "All right. It's time to make my move as well. Let's go, Asia."

Asia nodded and made an adorable war-face. "Yes, Buchou!"

**-Scene Break-**

"So it was you who beat those three Pawns, huh?" Saito said quietly.

Sitting beside Saito was Kiba. After having fled from Yubelluna, leaving Akeno to deal with her instead, Saito had met up with the Knight and the two took refuge in a small, dingy, equipment storage warehouse in order to briefly rest and recover from their fights.

"Yes," Kiba said. "I got lucky. I was able to lure them into some of the traps we set beforehand." Kiba grimaced. "It's too bad what happened to Koneko-chan, though. Even though she doesn't really show her emotions well, she was really determined to fight."

"I owe her," Saito said. "If it wasn't for her, Yubelluna would have retired me. She sacrificed herself to keep me in the Game."

"I see," Kiba murmured, leaning his head back against the wall. "So her loss wasn't in vain. That's good."

"Anyway," Saito said as he stood up. "We should get moving. We need to go meet up with Hyoudou-san."

"Just a moment, Hiraga-san," Kiba said quickly. "I have a question for you."

Saito cocked his head and looked at Kiba.

"I know you said before that you're always afraid of fighting," Kiba said. "But you don't seem like you're afraid at all. How aren't you even a little nervous?" Kiba held up one trembling hand. "I don't mean to boast, but I have plenty of battle experience. Even so, I'm still really nervous and tense from my first Rating Game. What's your secret?"

Saito pondered the question for a moment, then shrugged almost apologetically. "I suppose it's because to me, in the end, this is just a game. However realistic an approximation of war this Rating Game might be, it pales in comparison to real life-and-death battles. There are no real deaths. There are rules in place. We already know who our opponent is and how many of them there are." Saito shrugged again. "There's a reason why it's called the Rating _Games._ When I think about it like that, I just can't feel all that nervous about this."

"Is that so?" Kiba murmured. "You must have been through many of those battles, then."

"Some," Saito agreed.

"And I suppose even if we do lose, it doesn't really matter to you?" Kiba asked.

Saito arched an eyebrow. "Of course it does. I am Rias Gremory's Pawn. I have a duty to bring her victory, no matter the cost. And that is exactly what I'll do. Besides, I hate losing."

"I see," Kiba said, smiling slightly as he stood up as well. "All right, then. Let's get going."

Kiba walked over to the door and slid it to the side by half an inch. After peeking through the crack, Kiba frowned. "Damn. They found us."

"Servants of Rias Gremory!" a woman called out in a strong, authoritative voice. "I am Karlamine, Knight of Lord Riser Phenex. I grow weary of these boring tricks and plans. If you are not a coward, then come forth, and let us duel!"

Saito marveled at the ridiculously straightforward and outdated behavior of Karlamine. It was an attitude that would not have been too out of place in a primitive land like Halkeginia, but here? In an actual battle? It was stupid. There was no reason to accept such a challenge.

_No, wait,_ Saito thought, pursing his lips. Outnumbered as they were, this was perhaps a good chance to eliminate one of their members in a simple and straightforward manner. Additionally, whether this was a trap or not, even if they did not accept the challenge, it didn't change the fact that they would still have to battle.

"Well, as a Knight myself, I can't have her calling me a coward," Kiba smiled as he drew his blade from the sheath at his side. It was a sword of complete darkness, as though its blade was a mass of solid shadows. As the sword moved, thin wisps of black smoke trailed behind the blade.

Opening the door wide, Kiba stepped outside with confident steps. Saito followed him out afterward.

"I am Kiba Yuuto, Knight of Rias Gremory," Kiba declared proudly.

Saito unsheathed Derflinger, activating his Gandalfr's runes, and then waited in a ready stance. Instead of attacking or even choosing one of them as an opponent, however, Karlamine crossed her arms and looked at Saito with an impatient expression.

"Well?" she finally said.

"Well what?" Saito said, bemused.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself like that honorable Knight over there?" Karlamine demanded.

"... Seriously?" Saito said flatly, in a deadpan manner.

"It's etiquette!" Karlamine declared, nodding as if she was agreeing with herself.

"... Fine," Saito sighed. "I am Akira Fudo, the Pawn of Rias Gremory. Pleased to meet you."

Kiba looked at Saito, bewildered at the blatant lie, whereas Karlamine nodded with satisfaction.

"Good!" Karlamine said as she brandished her sword, the blade suddenly lighting up in a brilliant orange flame. "Now, Akira Fudo or Kiba Yuuto – either of you step forward and let us duel!"

Saito sighed as he rubbed his temple wearily. "Kiba, would you like to fight her?"

"I was hoping I could," Kiba grinned. "A match between sword-using Knights is something I look forward to!"

With that, Kiba and Karlamine began fighting. The swords of fire and darkness rang against each other as the two clashed at speeds far too fast for the normal human eye to keep track of.

"Devilman? Really?" an amused voice from behind Saito said. "I never pictured you as a fan."

Saito turned around to see a woman with a metallic mask covering half her face. Her hair was short and light-brown, and had three red highlights. She wore a black jacket that had a wide, flaring collar and bared her midriff and ample cleavage, as well as a pair of black jeans that had the right leg completely torn off. She carried no weapon, but wore battle gloves on her hands, indicating that she was a hand-to-hand fighter. Standing behind the masked woman was a shorter girl in a lovely pink dress fit for a princess and with her blonde hair set into large, twin drills on either side of her head.

"I could say the same about you," Saito remarked.

"I love it," the masked woman replied. "It's classic. Much better than some of the newer stuff that are released nowadays."

"Is that so?" Saito mused. "I actually rather enjoy a lot of the new ones, though."

"Isabella," the blonde girl said tersely. "We're not here for you to talk about your hobbies with the enemy."

"Of course, Lady Ravel," Isabella said apologetically. She pointed at Saito. "What's your name, really?"

Saito shrugged. "Hiraga Saito. Pawn."

"Then, let us fight as well!" Isabella shouted as she charged forward, fists up in a solid boxing stance.

Isabella jabbed with her left hand, firing two, three quick punches at Saito's head. Saito grimaced as he weaved his upper body, dodging each attack with small, controlled movements.

This woman was a Rook. Even if Saito hadn't known that already from Rias's information, he would have been able to tell by the way Isabella's light punches whistled through the air. Even though she was no doubt using the least amount of power necessary in order to gain more speed, the punches still carried a frightening amount of destructive force. Saito knew that if he took even one, it could provide all the opening the Rook needed in order to retire him.

Isabella stepped in, deep and low. Then, with the added force of driving her body upward, she aimed a low uppercut straight for Saito's guts. Saito took one step back and brought Derflinger speeding in a horizontal arc aimed at the Rook's head. Isabella shifted her attacking arm slightly, shifting it so that it interposed the sword's projected path. Even though Saito, as the Gandalfr, had greatly increased power, it was still far from coming close to that of a Rook's strength and durability. Thus, like hitting a steel pole, Derflinger bounced back upon colliding with the Rook's arm, trembling with vibrations in Saito's hand.

At the same time, while Saito remained distracted, Isabella threw a vicious low kick at his forward leg. Saito's eyes widened. He couldn't take this blow. His legs were the only thing that allowed him to fight against a Rook. Losing just one would spell an instant loss against them.

Saito jumped, bringing his knees up to his chest. The low kick sailed past far beneath him, and Saito landed a moment after. Immediately upon doing so, Isabella launched a straight punch, and Saito leaped back and put a safe distance between the two of them in order to avoid it.

She was good, Saito realized. Very much so. It was possible that he would not be able to defeat this Rook.

It was true that over the course of the ten days of training, he had been able to defeat another Rook, Koneko, in their spars, but he had had a few key advantages over the petite Rook. The first had been Koneko's short range. Even though it took Saito a long time to whittle away at her defense, he was able to constantly dance out of Koneko's easy reach and hammer away at her with Derflinger until she became too weary to continue. The second was that Koneko was primarily a grappler, having a style reminiscent to wrestling. With Saito's height and reach advantage, Koneko was only able to use one method of attack: shoot for Saito's legs and try to bring him to the ground. Saito's third advantage never allowed that to happen: his superior speed, reflexes, and senses.

Against Isabella, such advantages were either greatly mitigated or outright removed. From the brief exchange the two of them had, Saito knew that this Rook was primarily a striker. As far as Saito could tell, it seemed that she used kickboxing or a similar martial art. This, coupled with her height, gave her a fairly large effective range. It was not quite as long as Saito's, since he used a weapon, but it was enough to be able to easily reach him if he made one misstep. And she was fast, for a Rook. Much faster than Koneko was. The speed and efficiency of her attacks and the way she chained them together made for a perfectly flowing combo that was enough to pressure even the Gandalfr.

Worst of all, Derflinger simply was not a weapon well adapted to fighting Rooks. It had worked against Koneko during training only because Saito had enough time to make for a long, drawn out spar. But here, in the Rating Games, time was of the essence. Saito frowned. To deal damage to a Rook, he needed a much bigger, heavier weapon. Something like a large, powerful war hammer. Or a rocket launcher. Thinking about it, Saito decided that a rocket launcher would be very nice to have right about now.

_Where's a Staff of Destruction when I need one?_ Saito thought with annoyance.

"You're pretty good," Isabella complimented. "I had thought that one gear would be enough against a Pawn, but I underestimated you. For you, I think I'll need two, no, three gears."

Isabella charged in again, faster than before, and attacked with an incredible quickness. Saito ducked low and moved diagonally towards Isabella, dodging her attacks. Spinning around, Saito faced Isabella's back and gave her a hard, pushing kick, unbalancing her and sending her stumbling forward.

Then, completely ignoring her, Saito whirled around and streaked for Ravel.

She was the only person Saito had seen from Riser's Peerage thus far that he did not recognize. There had been no information about her in Rias's reports. Still, through basic logic, Saito knew that this girl was not a Rook nor a Queen. Therefore, his sword would work against her.

Ravel's eyes widened slightly as she witnessed Saito approach her like lightning. Derflinger pierced her through the chest. The force of Saito's charge behind the sword toppled the girl backwards, and Saito fell on top of her. Saito twisted the sword in order to enlarge the wound, making it easier for him to withdraw Derflinger from the girl's flesh as he stood back up.

However, instead of fading away and retiring, Saito watched with surprise as fire emitted from the open wound. It quickly died away. When it did, her body was as if Saito had never pierced her at all. Even the damage to her dress had disappeared.

"Geez," Ravel sighed as she stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes. "I don't want to fight, you know. And look at what you did. My dress is dirty because of you."

"You... You're immortal?" Saito said, voice thick with disbelief.

"Of course she is," Isabella's voice came from dangerously close behind Saito. He instinctively dashed forward, managing to dodge a punch to his kidneys by simply outpacing the strike. Saito whirled around to face the Rook. "Don't you know who she is?" she said as Saito turned to face her. "She is Lady Ravel Phenex, the younger sister of my master, Riser Phenex."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Saito said, outraged. "You guys have _TWO_ immortals on your team? Don't you guys know the concept of fair play?"

"Oh, don't complain," Ravel rolled her eyes. "I don't fight. So you two can just duke it out and do whatever. I'm just going to stand here and watch."

"Kiba! Hiraga-san!"

Saito glanced from the corner of his eye at Issei, who was approaching them, the Boosted Gear already present on his arm. Saito immediately rushed over to Issei. Seeing this, Kiba disengaged from the fierce battle he was having with Karlamine and moved to regroup with Issei and Saito as well.

"Buchou has made her move, you guys," Issei said without preamble. "Look."

Saito followed Issei's finger with his eyes towards the roof of the nearby new school building, where Riser was facing off against Rias and Asia. They had not yet begun to fight, talking about something instead, but the sparks would no doubt start to fly soon.

"All right," Saito said. "There's only three of them. Let's hurry up and defeat these guys and move on."

"Only three?" Ravel echoed tauntingly. "I think you should count again."

Saito glanced towards Ravel. He scowled as he saw that four more of Riser's Peerage had arrived, bringing their numbers up to seven.

"This... isn't very good, is it?" Issei said hesitatingly.

Saito quickly glanced over each of the newcomers. Two of them were twins, like Ile and Nel, but taller and older looking, and they had cat ears (though Saito wasn't certain if they were real or not). Their names, if Saito recalled correctly, were Ni and Li. Unlike Ile and Nel, however, there were differences between the two. Ni had a reddish colored hair and pale blue eyes. Li had pale blue hair and reddish colored eyes. Both carried no weapons, wearing only fighting gloves instead. They were martial artists like Isabella, then.

The third was Mihae, a Bishop. She wore a graceful, traditional kimono and had long black hair that reached down to her legs. The fourth was Siris, Riser's second Knight. She too had long black hair, though hers was tied up near the top of her head, allowing the hair to drape down over her. On her back was a very large and heavy looking two-handed sword, resembling something like a claymore.

"Shit," Issei spat. "Nothing to do but to fight."

"Yeah," Kiba agreed. "Let's do this."

"No," Saito said. "We don't have time to waste here. You two go on ahead. Make sure Hyoudou-san gets Promoted, Kiba-san. Then go help Buchou."

"You mean you're going to take on all seven of them by yourself?" Issei asked incredulously. "That's insane!"

Saito smiled at them briefly. "I'll be fine. It's more important that you get Promoted, Hyoudou-san, and go help Buchou."

Kiba and Issei both hesitated. "You're sure about this, Hiraga-kun?" Kiba asked.

Saito nodded. "I've done crazier things," he said. "Go. I'll cover you."

Issei and Kiba glanced at each other, then nodded and ran. Strangely, even as the two disappeared into the new school building where the Phenex side's base was located, none of Riser's Pieces even attempted to pursue them.

"Why didn't you try to stop them?" Saito asked the group at large.

"It doesn't really matter," Ravel said with a shrug. "Though, they are right. You are insane for wanting to fight alone when you're already so heavily outnumbered."

"Heh," Saito chuckled softly.

"What is so funny?" Ravel scowled.

"Seven against one, eh?" Saito smiled and shook his head calmly. He had faced much worse odds before on the hills outside of Saxe-Gotha. Much, much worse odds. "That is nothing. If you really want to outnumber me, then you had better bring at least ten thousand times more than just the seven of you." Saito took his stance as he faced his group of enemies. "Now, come at me."

"Hmph," Ravel sniffed. "Isabella. You will be his opponent. Siris. Karlamine. Surround him, but keep your distance. Harass him when you see the opportunity, but do not commit to your attacks. Your primary objective will be to keep him locked in combat with Isabella. If he tries to escape, stop him. Mihae. You will stay further away from the fighting and deliver supporting fire from a distance. Be careful, all of you. Even though he's a Pawn, he's faster than a Knight. Ni, Li. You two go get Promoted. Their base is empty now, but be careful of traps."

"Understood!" they chorused as one as they immediately moved according to Ravel's peremptory commands.

"Stop!" Saito shouted as he turned to chase after Ni and Li, who were moving with catlike swiftness and grace as they bolted for the Gremory side's base. However, before he could move, a wall of flames formed, blocking his path. Glancing towards Mihae, Saito scowled as she smiled benevolently back at him, one sleeved arm coming up to cover her mouth in a polite gesture.

"Hey," Isabella said as she pounded her fists together once and then took her fighting stance. "Since we didn't chase after your guys' Pawn when he went to get Promoted, it's only fair that you don't chase after ours, don't you think?"

"Doesn't seem you guys will give me much of a choice," Saito said as the two Knights began to circle him widely on opposite sides, making sure that he and Isabella were alone in the center. From the corner of his eyes, Saito carefully tracked Siris's movements.

"This time I'll go with four gears," Isabella said. "Let's go!"

With his sword held loosely at his side, Saito kept his body relaxed and his nerves sharpened, ready not to attack, but to simply avoid the Rook's attacks. When Isabella came in with a swift thrust to his body, Saito twisted his body to the side, letting the fist whistle through the air past him. Upon reaching the end of the strike, the same fist swung outwards in a fast backhand strike. Two quick steps backward put Saito out of the attack's range.

A blazing ball of fire shot towards Saito from Mihae from the side. Saito smirked as he held Derflinger before him. When the fireball came close, the flames were suddenly absorbed into the sentient blade as though it were a vacuum. Ravel's eyes narrowed as she watched the feat, while Karlamine attacked.

With a swift, prodding thrust aimed accurately at Saito's throat, Karlamine forced Saito to sway far back in order to avoid the attack by mere inches. Then, before he could regain his balance in order to counterattack, Karlamine jumped back and took a safe distance once more.

While he was still off balance, Siris came from behind. The heavy whistling sound of her large sword cleaving through the air alerted Saito to the imminent attack. Spinning to the side, Saito saw as Siris's sword smashed into the ground, leaving a deep indentation where it sunk into the ground.

Saito's lips spread into a feral grin.

"I was waiting for this," he told the Knight even as he moved in to attack.

Siris's eyes went wide as one of Saito's hands grabbed the hilt of her sword, a Zweihänder, according to what the Gandalfr's runes were informing him, and used his other hand to bring the pommel of Derflinger smashing against the Knight's temple.

In an instant, Siris's consciousness was broken, and she fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. With a quick shake, Saito freed the Zweihänder from Siris's grip. Sheathing Derflinger on his back, Saito turned to face Isabella with both hands on his very large and heavy stolen sword; a weapon far better suited for fighting a Rook than the much lighter Derflinger.

"Partner," Derflinger whispered into Saito's ear from his back in a joking manner. "Are you cheating on me with that lame sword?"

"Of course not," Saito muttered back. "I just need something a little bigger to deal with Isabella. By the way, do you think this sword will disappear if its owner retires?"

"Not sure," Derf replied quietly. "Maybe. Maybe not."

Saito decided not to risk it and left Siris lying unconscious on the ground.

"I see." Ravel narrowed her eyes as she watched Saito. "Isabella. Switch with Karlamine and guard Mihae. Karlamine, attack. Do not give him time to switch weapons. Mihae, start bombarding him with magic whenever you see an opening. If he's not using his own sword, he can't absorb it. Aim for his legs."

Saito growled as he shot daggers at the immortal girl with his eyes. She was making this much more difficult than it needed to be.

Karlamine charged forward while Isabella went over to Mihae's side. Using the large Zweihänder, Saito made a fast stroke across the air. It was a powerful blow that could have bisected Karlamine at the waist, if it had hit. However, no matter how much faster than a Knight Saito might be, with the Zweihänder, he could only use large, sweeping motions to attack. The wideness of those movements meant that for a Knight, it was simple to see coming, and therefore dodge. Thus, no matter how hard Saito tried, he was unable to hit Karlamine.

"Tch!" Saito grunted as Karlamine's flaming sword cut a thin line across his clothes; he only very narrowly managed to sway back far enough to prevent the sword from meeting flesh.

Immediately, the Phenex Knight leaped back as a wave of fire swept across the ground, coming up to Saito's knees. Saito jumped high into the air, allowing the fire to wash past beneath him. But as the fire disappeared, Karlamine appeared above him, slamming her sword down onto him. Saito brought his stolen sword into a guarding position. The burning blade slammed against it powerfully, aided by the force of gravity and compounded by Saito's lack of footing. He plunged to the ground, hard.

"Gah!" Saito let out as his back slammed against the grass and dirt painfully, pressing Derflinger against his body.

From the corner of his eye, Saito saw light. More fire, Saito realized. With a grunt, Saito hurriedly rolled over and drew Derflinger, stabbing the sentient blade into the ground between him and the approaching flames.

The wide wave of fire swept past Saito, but only where he was did it not touch the ground. Derflinger stood as a lone guardian, absorbing all the flames that would have otherwise burned its wielder to a crisp.

"Mihae," Ravel called out calmly. "Ice. From above. Karlamine, attack if he dodges. Standby, otherwise."

Dozens of thick daggers of ice formed in the sky above Saito, causing his eyes to widen as they rained down on top of him. Saito grabbed Derflinger and dove out of the danger zone, narrowly avoiding the ice daggers that pierced into the spot where he had just been lying. At that instant, Karlamine appeared. She plunged her burning sword down on Saito, forcing him to use Derflinger to gently block the burning blade, shedding the blow at at angle such that it buried itself into the ground just beside Saito. Greedily, Derflinger drank up the fire from the Knight's blade as it slid along its length, extinguishing the flames and turning the burning blade back into a normal sword. Karlamine frowned as she retreated back several steps, and her blade lit up in flames once more.

Saito quickly rose to his feet.. He stabbed the Zweihänder into the ground beside him and held Derflinger in his right hand. Karlamine, Mihae, and Isabella frowned, unsure of what to do from here. If Karlamine or Mihae tried to attack, Saito was ready with Derflinger to meet them. If Isabella attacked, he could quickly replace Derflinger with the Zweihänder and crush her. If they all attacked at once, Saito decided that he would go after Karlamine and Mihae first with Derflinger. After forcibly being kept off balance by Ravel's calm and precise leadership, Saito had finally regrouped enough so that he was ready for them, no matter what they threw at him now.

Which was why the calm little smile on Ravel's face greatly unnerved him.

"Siris, hold him from behind," Ravel said.

Saito's eyes widened too late as he felt two arms hook him underneath his armpits and back up and behind his neck. His body was lifted slightly into the air and arced a little backwards, preventing Saito from obtaining a proper footing.

Though the Gandalfr had superior strength to a Knight, Saito was still, at his base, a human. Thus, he still had human limitations. One such limitation was that in order for a human to make full use of their strength, they needed the proper position and leverage. But in his current state, Saito was made incapable of exerting any force along his upper body, as he had neither the position nor leverage to do so. He was caught.

"You certainly made this more difficult than it needed to be," Ravel remarked.

"Don't steal my lines. That's what I should be saying, not you," Saito retorted, though he couldn't help but smile.

"Is something funny?" Ravel asked, tilting her head and frowning quizzically upon seeing him smile. "Or is it possible you still have an ace up your sleeve?"

Saito shrugged noncommittally. "I was just thinking that you're very impressive. So much so that I can't even bring myself to be angry at you for getting in my way. I really think I would have won if not for your leadership. You beat me."

"Perhaps," Ravel allowed. "But even so, you would still lose in the end. It is impossible for any of you to defeat my brother. Not even that user of the Boosted Gear."

As if providing proof of Ravel's words, Grayfia's voice suddenly announced, _"Gremory side, Queen has retired."_

"No way!" Saito said in shock. "Akeno-neesama lost?"

"Don't be too surprised," Ravel shrugged. "Yubelluna, the Bomb Queen, is about as strong as the Priestess of Thunder. That's why the Pheonix Tears given to her beforehand proved to be the deciding factor."

Saito made a sudden, strong effort to free himself, but Siris's grip was tight, and he remained trapped. He sighed and stopped struggling. "So what are Phoenix Tears?" Saito asked curiously.

"You don't know about it?" Ravel said, sounding genuinely surprised for the first time.

"I'm a new devil," Saito said, trying to shrug but unable to due to Siris's hold. "There's a lot I don't know."

"Is that so?" Ravel said. She shrugged, and it strangely annoyed Saito seeing her be able to do so when he was currently incapable of it. "Like its name suggests, they are the tears of the Phenex family, and they are capable of healing any and all injuries, instantly and completely."

"Wait, so not only is your family a bunch of immortal devils," Saito said, "but you can also produce some kind of magic medicine by crying?" Saito shook his head in disbelief. "Your family is way too overpowered."

"It's not that simple," Ravel scowled. "Simply crying doesn't work. There is a special ritual involved in producing them. Besides, a team can only have up to two bottles of Phoenix Tears in a match. Those are the rules."

"Yes, well, your family is still ridiculously overpowered," Saito groused.

Ravel's mouth quirked into a smile. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was more like a complaint," Saito said, trying once more to shrug, once more failing. "But all right. I do have one question for you, though."

"I'll consider answering," Ravel said graciously.

"Why are you, Riser's little sister, his slave?" Saito asked. "Did he force you into it or something?"

"I am no one's slave. I am his Bishop," Ravel said icily. "Karlamine. Sacrifice Knight. Pawn, take."

Saito felt Siris tense behind him as Karlamine charged for both of them. Saito closed his eyes and waited. After a second, he felt searing pain course through his body as a foreign object, hot and sharp, invaded his guts, come out of his back, and stab the Knight behind Saito as well, skewering the two together.

Saito coughed blood as Siris's grip loosened and Karlamine's burning sword withdrew from his body. Siris collapsed backwards as her body became enveloped with light. Then:

"_Phenex side, Knight has retired."_

Meanwhile, Saito collapsed to his knees, one hand still clutching Derflinger, while the other covered the bloody hole in his stomach futilely. From the corner of his eye, Saito saw the Zweihänder still there, standing proudly even after its true owner's retirement.

"You're surprising resilient, aren't you?" Ravel said, frowning. "No matter. Finish him, Karlamine."

"Heh... Heh..." Saito laughed slowly, causing them to pause. "Hey, Ravel. You asked if I had an ace left up my sleeve, right? Well, I do." Slowly, Saito rose to his feet, using Derflinger as a crutch. Karlamine had taken a cautious stance as she watched Saito warily, unsure of how to react with the news of his hidden trump card. Saito looked at the sword in his hands and spoke. "Derf, it's been a long time since Saxe-Gotha, right?"

Ravel arched an eyebrow as she looked at Saito as though he had gone crazy for talking to a sword. Then her eyes widened with shock when the sword spoke back.

"Sure has, Partner," Derf said. "Feels like a lifetime ago."

"You... Your sword just talked!" Ravel exclaimed, shocked.

"Don't let the novelty wear off for ya, kid," Derflinger said sarcastically. "I'm awesome like that."

"Derf," Saito said. "Since it's been so long, you should have stored up enough magic since then, right?"

"Ah... You want me to use you again, right?" Derflinger said, his voice suddenly serious.

"Yes," Saito said. "Break the limits, if necessary. Don't bother trying to defeat Ravel. We don't have time to fight an immortal. After, get me to the enemy base so I can get Promoted. Then get me to Asia before I faint from blood loss. Or worse, retire."

"Gotcha, Partner," Derflinger said. "Sit back and enjoy the ride."

"What are you...?" Ravel began to say as Derflinger shining like a beacon of light. "What is this!?"

Saito suddenly felt his body move, his hand coming up almost automatically to grab the Zweihänder with his left hand. It was a strange sensation. The last time Derflinger had taken control of his body had been when he had died temporarily after his last stand against the army of seventy thousand outside of Saxe-Gotha, in Albion, in Halkeginia. Because he had been dead, he hadn't actually been aware of what Derflinger taking control of his body felt like.

To put it simply, it was a weird experience. It was as though he was a puppet. As detached from his body's movements as his thoughts were, it almost didn't even feel like his own body. And it was precisely because he was no longer controlling his body that Saito was able to move as well as he was.

Saito's body surged forward towards the enemy Knight. The arm carrying Derflinger moved in intricate patterns, causing the blade to flicker and slice with deadly accuracy, poking and prodding Karlamine's defenses. Then, in an attack that left Saito bewildered by the smoothness and its lightning swiftness, Derflinger had snaked past Karlamine's defenses and cut her throat open with easy, casual grace.

"Guh," Karlamine choked blood as she began to shine and fade away.

"_Phenex side, Knight has retired."_

There were three main advantages that came with allowing Derflinger to assume control of Saito's body. The first was that even if he was suffering from grievous injuries – or even if he was dead, for that matter – so long as his body was functional in the mechanical and technical sense of the word, Derflinger could use it and make it move. The second was that although Saito was the Gandalfr, his skill with the blade paled in comparison to Derflinger's. The sword was ancient. Mind boggling so. At over six thousand years old, Derflinger held more experience than Saito could even begin to imagine. Comparing the skill with swords between the Gandalfr and Derflinger was not so much like the difference in size between an ant and an elephant, but more like between an ant and the entire planet. The Gandalfr simply did not compare.

As for the third advantage...

"Isabella! Mihae!" Ravel called out sharply. "Retreat, now!"

The Rook and the Bishop immediately turned and began to flee, but Saito felt his body pursue them.

Saito's body caught up to the two fleeing Pieces in an instant, the two swords in its hands trailing behind it. Isabella turned and tried to face Saito, her arms up and ready in a fighting stance. The Zweihänder came smashing down on her, and she raised her arms in order to guard against the strike. But with far more force than a single handed strike should have been capable of exerting, the sword smashed through her guard.

Isabella cried out in pain as her arms were smashed, her bones shattered. It was only because the Zweihänder was too thick to make a clean cut and because she was a Rook that Isabella had not been cut in twain. Nevertheless, the large sword bore down on her body from above her broken guard with incredible force as it drove down on her skull. There was a dull, breaking sound, a crushing sensation beneath the large blade, and blood began pouring out of Isabella's mouth, nostrils, and eyes, freely.

_Phenex side, Rook has retired."_

"Ugh..." Saito winced as his left arm screamed with pain.

The third advantage of allowing Derflinger to assume control of his body was that because it was an external force, it could easily force Saito's body to break past the natural checks and limits placed on his body, granting him a large boost in his strength and speed. When this power boost was then multiplied by the runes of the Gandalfr, it became something truly devastating.

But like all great powers, it came at a cost.

To break past his limits could potentially cripple his body.

Saito's hand released the Zweihänder, allowing it to drop with a heavy thud on the grass. The arm dangled uselessly at his side, the muscles, bones, and tendons too broken and frayed to allow it to be used anymore.

There was a reason why the human body had in place certain limits. When the body broke past those limits, it turned into a time bomb. For a short time, it could demonstrate incredible power, but if done for too long, the end result was a ruined body.

Saito's body turned to face Mihae, whose eyes widened with fear. She raised her hands in order to cast some spell, Saito was sure, but Derflinger made his body lunge in low, then propelled his body upwards and used the momentum to plunge its blade up into the Bishop's torso and out of her back, just below her heart.

"_Phenex side, Bishop has retired."_

Saito trembled as he breathed. His body hurt very badly. The hole in his midsection had widened from the fast, violent motions and was bleeding profusely. His left arm was burning with pain as well. He felt very weak and strangely cold, likely due to the blood loss, and close to fainting.

"You feeling all right, Partner?" Derflinger asked.

"Peachy," Saito muttered weakly.

"Well, just hang tight," Derflinger said. "Let's go get you Promoted and then to the nun girl."

"Yeah... thanks," Saito said as his body began walking towards the new school building. As it did, he passed by Ravel.

"Hey," Ravel called out, causing Saito to stop. "It's best if you don't go. If you stay here, you'll be safe. I'll even use my Phoenix Tears on you if you promise not to interfere with my brother's fight."

Saito looked at Ravel. "I can't do that," he said with a bitter smile.

"You'll just be retired if you go," Ravel said. "You're strong, I'll admit that. You might even be able to put up a fight against my brother, for a little while. But you can't beat him. If you go, you'll just be sacrificed."

"Yes," Saito agreed. "But isn't that supposed to be a Pawn's purpose?"

"Hmph," Ravel sniffed. "Stubborn fool. Go on, then, if you really want to. I won't stop you."

"Thanks," Saito said as his body walked into the new school building. He winced as he moved, the hole in his stomach screaming with pain, bleeding profusely. His body was feeling increasingly cold and clammy. He wouldn't last much longer, Saito knew. "Hurry, Derf," Saito muttered. "Get me there quickly."

Saito's body bolted off at full sprint.

**-Scene Break-**

Rias panted heavily as she glared hatefully at Riser. Her body was undamaged, but only thanks to Asia's Twilight Healing, though her clothes were in tatters. Yet, despite the fact that her injuries had been healed, she felt exhausted. Twilight Healing was only capable of healing injuries, not restoring stamina. It was one of the few shortcomings of that amazing Sacred Gear.

Opposing Rias on the opposite end of the roof was Riser Phenex. Like her, he was completely free of injuries. Unlike her, he looked totally fresh. His clothes had not even a single strand out of place and he had an easy, relaxed smirk on his face. Just seeing that arrogant look was enough to drive Rias into a frenzy. His words only made it worse.

"How about we stop this now, my lovely Rias?" Riser said in a condescending tone. "You should know by now that you just can't win." He sneered. "Well, I don't mind keeping this up a little longer. At this rate, you're going to end up completely naked. And here I thought that I would only be seeing after we got married."

"Fuck you!" Rias shouted as she sent a bolt of black and blood-red demonic energy at Riser. It struck him like a cannonball, completely destroying a third of his skull.

Riser sighed as fire burned from the missing portion of his head. The flames grew, filling the missing space, and when it faded, his head was back to normal – not a hair out of place. Rias ground her teeth together in frustration. Despite her rising temper, however, Rias forced herself to keep her mind clear of the angry red haze. She was not fighting to defeat Riser by herself. She was simply stalling for time until Issei finally arrived.

"Buchou!"

Rias glanced over her shoulder and grinned as she saw Issei and Kiba quickly approaching her and Asia.

"Ise! Yuuto!" Rias cried out happily. "You're finally here! What about Saito?"

"He stayed behind so that we could hurry and come to help you," Issei explained quickly.

"Stayed behind?" Rias echoed, her mouth dropping into a frown. "But aren't there still seven Pieces left, excluding Yubelluna?"

"Yeah," Issei nodded. "He's fighting them by himself."

Having heard them speak, Riser began laughing loudly. "Are you serious, brat? That weak Pawn with no Sacred Gear is seriously trying to fight against seven of my Pieces by himself?"

"Don't insult my servants!" Rias snapped angrily.

Riser grinned as he raised his hands, palms open, in a mock gesture of surrender. "Still, why don't you just go ahead and forfeit, Rias? You could save me time and yourself and your Peerage a lot of pain."

"Are you scared, Riser?" Rias taunted, narrowing her eyes. "Are you worried that now that Ise has been Promoted, the wielder of the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet will defeat you?"

Riser snorted, amused. "As if. Even if he is the wielder of the Boosted Gear, he's still a worthless brat. It's like casting pearls before swine."

"I told you not to insult my servants!" Rias snarled as she hurled another bolt of demonic energy at Riser.

Riser faked a yawn as he regenerated from the wound inflicted on him.

"Ise," Rias said underneath her breath, never dropping her glare towards Riser. "Get ready. Yuuto. You and I will keep Riser busy."

"I understand, Buchou," Issei said.

"Boost!" the gauntlet announced.

"Let's go, Yuuto!" Rias declared as she hurled a flurry of demonic energy at Riser.

"Yes, Buchou!" Kiba shouted as he rushed forward, twin blades that appeared as though they were made of ice materialized in his hands.

With a bored expression, Riser waved one hand across the air, his other hand stuck casually in his pocket. Blazing fire met Rias's demonic energy, colliding and exploding in a burst of light and smoke.

"Boost!"

From within that, Kiba rushed forward, swords bared. When Riser cast a fireball at the Knight, Kiba held up his swords in a guarding position without breaking his stride.

Upon contact, the flames were absorbed by the swords and disappeared. At that, Riser's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Taking advantage of the slight lapse in concentration, Kiba struck. Two swift slashes left deep wounds across Riser's throat and stomach. No blood spilled, though, and they regenerated in fire.

"Boost!"

Riser made a swiping kick, but Kiba easily dodged it by leaping back.

"Flame Delete, eh?" Riser said arrogantly. "Do you really think that will be enough to defend against my flames?"

"Boost!"

"For that matter, do you really think that you two alone can hold me off long enough for the Dragon boy to finish increasing his strength? Huh, Rias?" Riser said.

"Boost!"

"We will!" Rias declared. "And Akeno will be here soon, too, after she takes care of your Queen! Saito, too!"

Riser tilted his head back and let out a deep belly laugh. "Hahaha! You really think either of those two will happen? I'll grant that your Queen is strong, but so is mine."

"Boost!"

"More," Riser continued, "Yubelluna holds a bottle of Phoenix Tears. That's why she will finish off your Queen right about..."

"_Gremory side, Queen has retired."_

"Now." Riser smirked.

"Impossible!" Issei cried out. "Akeno-san lost?"

"Boost!"

"Ise! Focus on your own task!" Rias said, though she found herself unable to hide the agitation in her voice. She had made a grave oversight by neglecting to plan for Phoenix Tears. It was a stupid, amateurish mistake, given that she was fighting against a member of the very family that produced them, and Rias cursed herself for it. This was bad. With Akeno defeated, Yubelluna would no doubt be here soon. Would they be able to win before then?

"Boost!"

Kiba rushed forward, swords bared. Riser tsked lightly and held out his hand. A river of fire, a torrent of it, flooded outwards, its heat palpable even from the distance Rias was at. Kiba's eyes widened as he jumped back, his swords held in an X shape in front of him. For a moment, the swords absorbed fire, but then they shattered, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the flames. Kiba shouted in pain as his entire body was nearly burned to cinders and landed near Rias, Asia, and Issei, who had all only narrowly managed to avoid being turned into ashes by a barrier Rias erected at the last second.

"Kiba!" Issei shouted.

"Kiba-san!" Asia screamed.

"Yuuto!" Rias cried out. "Asia! Heal him!"

Immediately, the kindhearted Bishop rushed over to Kiba's side. Underneath the soft emerald glow of Twilight Healing, the burns that thoroughly covered Kiba's body disappeared, though the majority of his clothes was burned away. Unfortunately, despite his body having been healed, his consciousness was gone, taken from him by being washed with flames, the searing pain too much for anyone to bear.

"You've fought well, Rias," Riser said soothingly. "It's amazing how well you've done. There's no shame in surrendering here."

"Boost!"

"There's no way in hell we're surrendering!" Issei shouted angrily.

"That's right!" Rias agreed. "There's no reason for us to surrender here!"

"Your Queen and Rook are gone," Riser said dispassionately. "Your Knight is unconscious. Your Bishop has no fighting capability. Your only hope of winning is to have this dragon boy beat me, but that itself will be impossible, no matter how much he increases his strength. And your only other remaining Pawn will soon be retired. You can't win."

"Boost!"

"Don't decide that on your own!" Rias shouted.

"_Phenex side, Knight has retired."_

"Huh?" Riser frowned as he looked up, as if uncertain if Grayfia had truly announced that.

"_Phenex side, Knight has retired."_

"_Phenex side, Rook has retired."_

"_Phenex side, Bishop has retired."_

"What in the world!?" Riser yelped in shock at the back to back announcements.

"Boost!"

"Saito!" Rias said gleefully.

"That crazy guy did it!" Issei cheered happily. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Riser. "Now it's my turn. I'm going, Buchou!"

"Boost!"

"Do it, Ise!" Rias said, a rising sense of victory bubbling up from within her. Now was the absolute ideal time to be able to truly defeat Riser. With the announcement of Saito's victory against incredible odds, Riser was in shock. If he took an attack from Issei now, after twelve Boosts, then even he would be defeated.

"Explosion!"

"Take this, you damn fried chicken bastard!" Issei shouted as he held his gauntlet-covered arm in front of him, a dense mass of potent demonic energy gathering in his palm. "Die!"

As Issei's demonic energy shined, just as it began to fire, Rias saw it. A smirk on Riser's face. The kind of expression one had when the opponent fell for a trap.

"Ise! Look out!" Rias shouted.

Fire exploded loudly around Issei with such force that Rias could only watch helplessly from behind the barrier she erected to guard herself, Kiba, and Asia as Issei released a cry of pain and collapsed to the floor.

"Reset!" the Boosted Gear announced.

"Ise-san!" Asia cried out as she rushed over to the unconscious Issei.

Rias looked up into the air and swore. Floating down from the sky with serenity was Yubelluna. She landed gently on the spot beside Riser. Her clothes were burnt from electricity, proof of her battle with Akeno, but she looked otherwise completely unharmed.

Damn Phoenix Tears, Rias thought bitterly.

Calmly, Yubelluna held up one hand, causing a magic circle to appear beneath Asia, trapping her in place and preventing her from healing Issei.

"Asia!" Rias cried out.

"You didn't think I'd keep letting your Bishop heal, did you?" Riser said mockingly. "Not that it matters, of course, but it does drag things out too long. It's over, Rias. Though you did well coming this far, there are no moves left available to you. Checkmate."

"Shut up!" Rias shouted, throwing a bolt of demonic energy at Riser. It struck him, and he regenerated. Seeing that, Rias felt her spirit finally crumble.

Helplessly, Rias fell to her knees. Though Kiba and Issei were both technically still in the game, they were unconscious. It was unlikely that either of them would wake up before she was defeated. And she alone did not have the power to defeat both Yubelluna and Riser at the same time. Asia was sealed. Akeno and Koneko were retired. And Saito... well, even if Saito came, there probably wouldn't be much he could do alone.

Was this is? Was this as far as she could go? In the end, everything had gone according to her family's plan. She had fought the best she could, but she had lost, as they knew she would.

Checkmate.

Rias let out a long breath. Slowly, she stood back to her feet.

"All right, Riser," Rias said, staring very evenly at her hated foe; her soon-to-be husband. "You wi-"

A shining light streaked down from the sky, plummeting to the rooftop like falling star. It struck Yubelluna with a thunderous crash. And then:

"_Phenex side, Queen has retired."_

Both Rias and Riser's eyes widened as the seal around Asia disappeared. Riser turned to his side just in time to see a shining sword flash through the air, ripping open his neck, nearly taking it off his head completely. Two more slashes followed up, one across Riser's eyes and the other on the back of his knees, on the tendons. Riser fell to the ground, his support taken from him, and he waved his arm blindly, releasing a large burst of flames as he regenerated from his new wounds.

"Saito!" Rias cried out as the flames were absorbed into the shining Derflinger, even as Saito jumped away from Riser and returned to Rias's side. From there, Rias was able to see that Saito had a terrible wound, a hole that ran straight through his stomach and out of his back. "Saito!" Rias said again. "Asia! Heal him quickly!"

"Yes!" Asia said, quickly rushing over and laying her hands over Saito's wounds. In a matter of seconds, the hole had vanished, leaving only a large bloodstain in its wake.

"Thank you, Asia-san. My left arm too, please," Saito said, smiling briefly as he looked at her. Asia nodded and quickly healed his dangling left arm. "And thank you, Derf. I'll take control again."

"Got it, Partner," Derflinger said as it slowly dimmed, then turned back to normal.

"Hey, Riser," Saito said as he turned to face the enemy King, pointing Derflinger at him. "You suck at chess if you thought that this was checkmate. It was only a check."

**-Scene Break-**

"You think that your arrival changes anything?" Riser sneered. "It does not. I'll admit that I was surprised that you took out four of my Pieces on your own, but it doesn't matter. You can't beat me."

Saito favored Riser with an unimpressed look. "God, you speak too much." Without glancing away, Saito said quietly to Rias, "What's the current situation, Buchou?"

"Ise and Yuuto are unconscious, but uninjured," Rias replied just as quietly. "If you can buy enough time for them to reawaken, we can proceed with the plan. Can you do it?"

"Piece of cake," Saito said.

Saito kicked off the rooftop. Then he took off Riser's arm with a single slash.

"What the?" Riser said dumbly. He looked at the spot where Saito had been standing only an instant before. There was only a footprint left indented into the rooftop, nearly an inch deep, on that spot. Slowly, his head went to his left arm, which lay beside his foot, detached from his body and burning merrily like a campfire log. A little further behind him was Saito.

The Gandalfr smiled at Riser, then attacked again. A storm of steel rained down on Riser, leaving deep gashes that split his body open. Fire burned from those wounds, and with the sheer amount of injuries Saito was inflicting, it was as though Riser was almost completely on fire.

"Amazing," Rias murmured from where she knelt beside Issei and Yuuto, who she was currently attempting to wake.

Saito agreed. A Queen's abilities were amazing. As fast as a Knight, as strong as a Rook, and as magically potent as a Bishop. Disregarding the Bishop traits, since he was terrible at using demonic energy, the Knight and Rook traits were incredible, and when their traits were multiplied by the Gandalfr's runes, all Saito could say was that it was truly breathtaking.

Through his sheer speed and strength, Saito was effectively pinning Riser down. The man of the Phenex family grunted as he strove to escape Saito's relentless assault, but he could not. Wings of brilliant fire erupted from Riser's back. They flapped once, then lifted him high into the air.

Saito moved like lightning. He jumped back, against the tower wall behind him, and kicked off against it with both feet, leaving his footprints deeply in the stone. He soared and delivered two swift strokes. The wings of flame were cut apart at their base, then absorbed into Derflinger. Grabbing Riser, the two plummeted back to the roof together. With easy grace, Saito landed on his feet, falling into a crouching position as the balls of his feet touched the rooftop in order to better absorb the impact of the fall. Riser simply fell, landing in an ungainly heap.

Due to the ferociousness and swiftness of Saito's attacks, Riser's mind was reeling. It showed, too, in his regeneration. It was only now that he had finally regenerated his severed arm. The rest of his wounds were still recovering.

"Bastard... You fucking bastard!" Riser shouted as he stood back up, completely enraged. "I'll kill you!"

"Dude," Saito said flatly. "This is a Rating Game. We _can't_ die, remember?"

"Do not mock me!" Riser snarled. "Ni! Li!"

From the sides of the building, the two catgirls suddenly appeared, jumping up and landing on the roof beside Riser. The two Pawns, who were no doubt Queens by now, together with Riser, unleashed a massive flood of fire from their hands. It was several dozens of feet wide and nearly twice as tall. Saito swore. He couldn't defend against that. Not with Derflinger alone. There was no way the blade would be able to absorb it fast enough to keep him safe.

"Saito, come here!" Rias called out to him.

Saito took a quick glance behind him, where Rias had erected a barrier of demonic energy. But as bad as he was with demonic energy, even Saito could see that the barrier clearly would not hold against this overwhelming assault from an immortal and two Queens. Saito let out a breath as the fire neared, the heat burning his flesh even from this distance. Saito took a long step back with his right leg, lowering his center of mass and placing nearly all his weight on his forward leg. Saito lowered his head, and with one hand, he held Derflinger out in front of him; with the other, he covered his face.

Voraciously, Derflinger sucked away at the fire, doing its best to absorb as much of the flames as it could. For a few moments, Derflinger held. Though the flames washed past them to the sides and above, none touched Saito or the others several meters behind him. But as Saito thought, it was not enough.

"Ugh..." Saito grunted as he felt the fire burn away at his clothes and flesh painfully. The sheer volume of the flames was quickly beginning to overwhelm Derflingers absorption rate. It would hold for only perhaps a few more seconds, at best.

"Sword Birth: Flame Delete!"

Swords erupted from on the space before Saito. Each of them looked as though they were carved from the purest of ice, crystalline and pale blue. They spread up and outwards like a fan, forming a large shield of interlocked swords nearly four swords tall, half again as wide and twice as thick.

The flames burned at the shield of swords, causing layer after layer to slowly melt away. But the shield was thick and strong. It stood strongly, until at the very last layer, the torrent of fire finally ceased. The shield of swords disappeared a moment after, the swords seemingly shattering into sparkling particles of ice.

"Kiba-san!" Saito said as he looked at the Knight. He was on one knee and had his hand held in front of him. He breathed heavily as he allowed that arm to drop, sweat pouring from his brows.

"S-Sorry, Hiraga-kun. Asia-san. Buchou," Kiba smiled weakly. "I think that drained just about everything I had left. My apologies for being unable to do more."

"No, you saved us, Yuuto," Rias said. "Good job."

"W-what about Ise-kun, Buchou?" Kiba asked weakly.

Rias bit her lips and shook her head. Kiba closed his eyes and let out a breath.

"I see..." he whispered.

Saito faced Riser and his two Pawn-turned-Queens, Derflinger ready in his hands. Using such an overwhelming attack had tired them. They panted heavily as they tried to recover their strength as quickly as possible. Thanks to that, there was a brief lull in the combat.

"Hyoudou Issei. I know you can hear me, so listen carefully," Saito said calmly. "Right now, you and I are the only ones left to fight. Buchou and Kiba are too exhausted. You already know that Asia can't fight. But I can't beat Riser Phenex and his two Queens alone. Do not sleep. To do so is to allow Riser to win. I need you to stand up. Stand up, Hyoudou Issei. Stand up and fight!"

"... Boost!"

"Ah... I hear you, Hiraga-san," Issei said slowly. He put an arm beneath him and slowly rose to his feet. "And you're right. There's no way I can let that fried chicken bastard win."

"Boost!"

"Good," Saito said. "Then get ready, because-"

"There's no way I'm gonna let you marry Buchou, Riser Phenex!" Issei declared loudly, cutting off Saito, his voice gaining strength with each passing word. "You can't marry her because her virginity belongs to me!"

Saito nearly dropped Derflinger from the pure shock of the words. His jaw hung wide open as he turned to gawk at Issei. Kiba looked entirely too amused by Issei's words, while Asia was pouting jealously. At least Rias Gremory had the sense to look highly embarrassed by Issei's words.

"Boost!"

For a moment, there was a total stillness on the battlefield; complete and utter silence. Nobody there could believe that Issei had truly said those words.

The Boosted Gear was the first to break the silence.

"Boost!"

"What!?" Riser shouted angrily, the Sacred Gear's announcement bringing his attention back to earth. "You fool! _I'm_ her fiance! That means her virginity belongs to _me!_ Do you know how long I've been waiting to take it!?"

Saito's head snapped to Riser, gawking at him now instead, as Derflinger began laughing in his hands. He could somewhat, sort of, kind of understand that Issei would say such embarrassing things in such a serious situation, but Riser as well? This was just... sad. It was really, really sad.

"Boost!"

"Moron!" Issei shouted back. "You already have a freaking harem! You don't need Buchou's virginity!"

"Don't call me a moron, idiot!" Riser said, their words degenerating into a childlike argument. "Don't you know the first thing of harems? You're supposed to have a main wife and then a bunch of concubines! That's what it means to have a harem!"

"Boost!"

"So pick a wife from your Peerage, or somewhere else!" Issei snapped. "Because I'm not handing Buchou's virginity over to anyone! Ever!"

"Why you-" Riser began.

"Okay, stop, you two! Just stop!" Saito yelled.

"Boost!"

Saito glared at both Riser and Issei. "So let me get this straight: the reason you two are both fighting in this Rating Game... is for Rias Gremory's virginity?"

"Well, kind of," Issei said sheepishly. "I mean, I want her to win too because she doesn't want to marry that guy... But sort of, I guess."

"Yes," Riser said firmly, looking completely unapologetic.

Saito sighed, both exhausted and frustrated by the inanity of the current situation.

"Boost!"

"You know what?" Saito said wearily. "You two are both idiots. And you guys win. You two beat me. Congratulations. I don't even feel like fighting anymore." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. "God, I wish Ravel was the Phenex side King instead. At least then this would be an actual, serious battle and not a stupid argument over some girl's virginity."

"What was that about my sister?" Riser said angrily.

"Boost!"

"I said that she should replace you as King, you stupid, horny pervert," Saito snapped back.

"Don't be an idiot," Riser snorted. "If she were to be a King, how could I have a tsundere little sister type in my harem? And I'm not a horny pervert. I just have a strong libido. It means I'm a healthy male."

"... THAT'S WHY YOU MADE HER YOUR BISHOP!?" Saito demanded incredulously, completely unable to believe what he had just heard. Derflinger had begun laughing so hard that Saito could feel the sword vibrating strongly in his hand. It was fortunate for the sword that it didn't need to breathe, otherwise it surely would have died from lack of air due to laughing too hard, uncontrollably.

"It's a status symbol!" Riser declared proudly. "I mean, I'm not particularly interested in little sisters, but there are those that are and it completes the set. Besides, look. The dragon boy is jealous, at least."

Saito looked at Issei, whose eyes were shining with jealous tears as his entire body trembled angrily. Saito felt like slamming his head repeatedly against something really hard until he could crawl into a hole and just sleep for a long time, hoping that when he woke up, this would all turn out to be one stupid dream. But first, he needed to verify something.

"Boost!"

"You mean to tell me, that the _only_ reason why you made Ravel your Bishop is because you wanted a tsundere little sister in your Peerage?" Saito asked. "_Not_ because of her strategic brilliance or calm leadership skills?"

"Of course!" Riser answered.

"Boost!"

Saito slapped one hand over his face and groaned with frustration. That was it. He couldn't take this anymore. He was done. No more.

_Oh, Ravel. I pity you so much,_ Saito thought sympathetically. _Your brother is a completely perverted idiot._

The saddest part of all of this, Saito thought, was that it was buying enough time for Issei to Boost his strength, and it was doing it far more effectively than Saito would have been able to through combat. Saito felt a little part of him die inside after realizing that fact.

"Boost!"

"You... You sick bastard," Issei growled furiously. "Not only do you have a harem, not only are you engaged to Buchou, but you also get to have a tsundere little sister in your harem!? That's it. As the representative of all the unpopular guys who dream of having a harem, I am going to destroy you!"

Suddenly, the Boosted Gear began moving and shifting, transforming into a larger and stronger looking gauntlet, as the green gem on the back of its hand began shining and declared, "Dragon Booster Second Liberation!"

"It transformed?" Issei said in blank shock as he stared at the Boosted Gear.

Tears began forming in Saito's eyes as a childlike laughter bubbled forth from his lips. He was certain that he heard a snapping sound fire off in his head somewhere, as well.

"Hahahaha!" Saito giggled as he fell to his back and began rolling and laughing. "Hahahaha!"

Unbelievable. He had no idea what just happened with the Boosted Gear, but it was clear that it had gotten a power up. It was equally clear that Issei's perverted envy and rage was the source of the transformation.

That was funny. Of course it was funny. It was hilarious! How could he _not_ laugh at that? It was so funny that he was crying. Hooray for pervert power!

"Partner?" Derflinger said, his own laughter having died away once Saito's had begun. "Uh... Partner? Shit. We lost him."

"Buchou! Hiraga-san!" Issei said in a suddenly serious tone. "Listen! We're gonna beat Riser right here and now, and free-"

"No," Saito interrupted flatly as he abruptly stopped laughing and got to his feet. "No, you don't get to try to make this atmosphere serious again. You and Riser have already ruined that. So just tell us what your Boosted Gear can do now and what your plan is. No speech."

"Huh?" Issei blinked at Saito. "Oh... Um... Okay. I can transfer my boosted power to someone else, so I was thinking that I could do that to Buchou, then she could finish off Riser. To make sure that nothing gets in the way of that, though, those two Queens need to be retired first."

"Fine," Saito said monotonously. "I'll take care of that. You two get ready."

Saito once more kicked off the rooftop, leaving behind a deep indentation of his footprint as he charged forward. Unwilling to allow the Gandalfr to get too close, Riser, Ni, and Li unleashed a burst of fire. Though it was still large and powerful, the fire was not as overwhelming as before.

Clenching his teeth and closing his eyes, Saito dived straight into the flames, trusting in his Queen-enhanced durability and Derflinger to keep him safe, or at least from being retired instantly. As Saito streaked through the fire, he felt it burn away at his body even as Derflinger frantically tried to absorb the flames.

"Ha!" Saito shouted as he finally emerged from the fire. At full speed, he went straight for Ni. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Saito coming. With all her strength, she threw a punch, her fist wrapped in fire, attempting to match Saito's timing and deliver a counter. But with a gentle slip of the head, Saito brushed past Ni's flaming fist and stabbed Derflinger into her stomach.

However, thanks to her greatly enhanced durability as a Queen, Derflinger faced an unusual degree of resistance as it tried to penetrate into Ni's flesh. This resistance slowed Saito by a fraction of a second, but that was all Ni needed to react and grab the blade itself and grind the momentum of the piercing thrust to less than half its original speed. From his left, Li appeared to help her sister. The bottom of her foot slammed into the side of Saito's head, sending him reeling as Ni released Derflinger.

Though still dazed, Saito recovered quickly, swiping Derflinger through the air to extinguish the flames Riser threw at him. Ni and Li pounced at him as one, like a pair of hunting lionesses, with a flying side kick. Saito eyes widened as one hand snapped up to gently brush aside and divert Ni's kick while his other hand thrust Derflinger at Li's body.

Li's long legs gave her a devastating reach on her kicks. Thus, Saito felt a bone crushing blow be inflicted on his ribs. However, the range of Saito's sword was even longer. Nearly half of Derflinger's blade was buried into Li's body. Because Li had been in the air at the moment she struck, Saito had been forced to angle his sword a little upward. And thanks to his Queen and Gandalfr enhanced strength, it remained that way even after the sudden weight a grown woman's body was added to the blade. She coughed up blood and struggled feebly as she slid down the blade, towards Saito.

"_Phenex side, Queen has retired."_

As Li disappeared from Saito's sword, Ni cried out with anger and attacked. But in her rage, her assault was clumsy and full of openings. With a quick movement, Saito avoided her attack and left a deep, fatal cut along the width of her body.

"_Phenex side, Queen has retired."_

Saito glanced at Riser, sweat beading his brow, eyes widened as the realization that his defeat was not only possible, but imminent, finally hit him.

"No!" he yelled furiously as he wings of flame appeared from his back and he took to the skies. "I can't lose! Not here! Not like this!"

With his face screwed up in concentration, Riser unleashed down on them a massive pillar of fire – one that was intended to not just turn them into ashes, but to destroy the entire building that they were standing on along with them.

"Transfer!" the Boosted Gear announced.

"Buchou!" Issei cried out. "You can do it!"

"Blow away, Riser Phenex!" Rias shouted vigorously.

An enormous beam of black and blood-red energy was fired by Rias up into the air, meeting Riser's attack in a thoroughly one-sided collision. So massive was Rias's attack that it completely dwarfed that of Riser's. Roaring like a raging beast, it eradicated Riser's flames as it rushed past it like a fast-flowing river. Riser opened his mouth to scream, but the demonic energy swallowed him whole, silencing him.

For a few seconds, Rias's demonic energy continued firing. Then, it slowly died away. When it was gone, nothing was left of Riser.

"_Phenex side, King has retired. Victory of the Gremory side."_

**-Scene Break-**

Rias sighed with satisfaction as she sat on a chair outside of the infirmary room, where the retired Pieces were taken in order to be healed and to rest. But after such an exhausting battle, the general consensus amongst her Pieces seemed to have been to just sleep then and there. They were too tired to think of doing anything else.

They had done it. They won. Against all odds, they had beaten Riser Phenex. It was an exhilarating sensation. To have grabbed hold of victory through their own efforts and hard work, thereby freeing her from the engagement to Riser, left Rias feeling so elated that she could scarcely remember a time that she had felt any happier.

The door opened, then, and Saito appeared from within the room, fully dressed and ready to leave. He glanced at Rias and gave her a small, curt nod, before he turned from her and began to walk away.

"Wait, Saito," Rias called out to him. "There's something I want to ask."

Saito stopped and turned around. "What is it, Buchou?"

"Do you hate me?"

Saito blinked at the sudden question as Rias stared at him penetratingly. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Derf told you that, huh?"

"Yes."

When Saito opened his eyes, they were very cold, frigid, as he stared back at Rias without expression. "Yes. I hate you. And I will _always_ hate you. Now, if that is all, I'm going home before my parents realize I'm missing."

"I see..." Rias said sadly. It was only thanks to the fact that Derflinger had already forewarned her of Saito's hatred of her that it did not shock her deeply. But it did not change the fact that his words hurt her deeply.

"Hiraga-san, wait."

Rias and Saito looked at Issei, who had just stepped out of the infirmary room.

"Why do you hate Buchou?" Issei asked, glowering at his fellow Pawn. "She hasn't done anything to deserve that. It's not fair of you to hate her for no good reason!"

"Ise," Rias said sharply. "It's fine. Leave him be."

"But Buchou," Issei protested.

"Leave him be," Rias repeated. She looked to Saito and smiled. "Thank you for your hard work today. We'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Yeah. See ya," Saito grunted as he turned and quietly walked away, his footsteps hardly making a sound against the linoleum floor as he did.

Once Saito was gone, Issei looked at Rias with a confused expression.

"Buchou," he said. "Why are you okay with Hiraga-san hating you? You haven't done anything wrong."

Rias smiled plaintively as she recalled the image of Saito's heavily scarred, whipped back. "I'm sure he has his own reasons." Rias let out a breath. "But you are right. I also do not believe I have done anything wrong. That is why, no matter how long it takes, I will melt away his hate." She smiled. "After all, he is also a member of my Peerage. That means we're family."

"Buchou..." Issei said, looking touched by Rias's words.

"But jeez, Ise," Rias smiled coyly. "Is my virginity something you really want that badly?"

"More than anything else in the world," Issei responded immediately.

Rias tilted her head back and let out a bell-like laughter. Standing up, Rias patted Issei on the head. "Well, keep working hard, Ise. If you become a good man, I just might give it to you one day."

Rias sighed and smiled. She would eventually have to explain to her parents, her sister, Grafyia, and her older brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, why one of her servants had declared his lust for her in the middle of an important Rating Game. But as she watched Issei cheer and celebrate, his honest and eager face, she just couldn't bring herself to care about it. She would deal with it another time.

She and her Peerage had won against all odds. For now, that was enough.


	3. Holy Unholy (Part 1)

_Author's Notes:_

_Sorry that it's taken so long to release an update. Truth was, I had this part finished for like three weeks now, but I wanted to release it all as one big chapter instead of splitting it up into multiple parts. But, well, I'm at 40k words right now for the entire thing, and I still haven't finished. Then when I realized that my work hours this week got changed around a bit so I'll have even less time to write, and that I have to attend my cousin's wedding this weekend, which means the weekend will be unavailable to me too, I decided that I'm probably not gonna finish it by this week like I had hoped._

_Therefore, I decided to just release about half of what I have done thus far. Hopefully it turned out well, but I only really went through it like twice in order to edit it. I just wanted to get something out._

_Anyway, with that said, time for a reeeeally long author's notes to make up for the complete lack of them for the past two chapters, and there is quite a lot that I want to cover. _

_So something a few people have mentioned in the reviews was that Saito in this fic is out of character compared to how he actually is in canon. I hadn't intended to address that point in an AN because not that many people have been pointing it out, and for the most part, those that have didn't seem to mind too much._

_However, someone talked to me more in depth about the matter via private messaging, and it seems I was mistaken about my previous impressions. From what I'm told, there are actually quite a bit of people who are unhappy with how OOC this Saito is, and especially with how I'm portraying Louise, specifically in regards to her relationship with Saito. They don't like the fact Saito doesn't love Louise in this fic, even though he loves her no matter what in canon. Furthermore, they are under the (mistaken) impression that the runes don't do anything besides repress homesickness._

_I will be the very first person to admit that this fic's Saito is indeed very OOC and might as well be a completely different character given how unlike he is to the canonical Saito, personality-wise. I purposefully did this for four primary reasons. _

_The first is because I wanted to write how I think Saito would have ended up like if nearly all of the comedy and double standards (specifically the female-on-male abuse being all right) of Familiar of Zero were removed or played straight; how that experience would have changed and warped Saito. Because like I told that person, FoZ has the potential to be far darker and sadder than it is actually portrayed, and realistically speaking, it _should _be. Without the comedy aspect of the series to protect Saito, there is no way he would not have ended up as a very hurt and angry and changed man. Therefore, there will be things that this Saito has done or thought or has had happened to him that is different to canon Saito, although most of the rest of his history will be identical to the Canon Saito._

_The second reason is that canon Saito is a little too similar of a character to Issei (though of the two, I think Issei has much more exaggerated or pronounced character traits). If I had both of them in the same setting, I was worried that they would end up just homogenizing together, which would be boring and uninteresting, though I might have done it if I had decided to make Saito someone else's Piece (such as Sona's)._

_The third reason is the most important one. In my last major fic, Stigma of the Void, I had written that with the primary goal of practicing writing in first person because that PoV is really awkward for me to write with (and to write a Kazuma vs Karin fight scene). In this fic, my aim is to practice writing character development, with angst in particular. I really want to work on being able to write angst well and without crossing over that line into wangst territory (Assuming I haven't already crossed that line, that is. I hope I haven't. Look wangst up on tvtropes if you don't know what it is). This AU Saito makes it easier for me to do just that when compared to the canonical Saito._

_Finally, the fourth reason – **and this is going to have a very tiny spoiler for something rather far in the future, so skip this paragraph if you don't like that** – when Saito and Louise finally meet again, I want it to be interesting. And after consideration and planning, it seemed to me that having this AU Saito and Louise interact and more properly reconcile their past would be much more interesting to read compared to how a more Canon Saito would react, which would be him reacting exactly like in canon. Just copying that would be kinda boring, I think._

_To sum it up in just a few words, this is very much an AU Saito, at least in terms of personality (though that should have been fairly obvious by now), and I'm not ashamed at all to admit that. After all, I am a firm believer that AU does not automatically equate to being bad; only more likely._

_As for the familiar's runes only repressing homesickness, that is wrong; plain and simple. The fact of the matter is that it's been shown canonically that the runes have had effects that go beyond just repression of homesickness. For starters, the boost in courage whenever Saito hears Louise chant a Void spell. It's also pretty heavily implied, if not outright stated, that it's not that he _doesn't_ think about his home and family when he's around Louise, but that he literally _can't._ And there's a huge difference between suppressing homesickness and outright making him unable to think about home. Similarly, it's also implied that the runes made Saito less able to focus in on Louise's bad traits and made him always see her in a much more positive light. But putting all of that aside, there's also this line from the light novels: _"Indeed, the fake motive he had to stay in this world had disappeared." (Volume 11, Chapter 10)

_A bit of context for that line: Prior to having Tiffania's mind wipe spell used on Saito, Louise and his friends had begun suspecting that the Gandalfr's runes were feeding Saito false motivations for remaining in the world of Halkeginia. That line, which comes after having his mind wiped of the runes' influence, verifies their suspicions for the readers. However you try to spin that, it is impossible to take the stand that the runes only repress homesickness; not when the canon itself refutes that fact. Frankly speaking, anyone who tries to state otherwise is either willfully or woefully ignorant (or possibly both)._

_Now don't get me wrong; repression of homesickness is a HUGE part of the runes' effects. But if that was all it was, Saito wouldn't have had a fake motive implanted in him to remain in Halkeginia. Rather, it'd be more accurate to say that the repression of homesickness is an effect that is a part of the runes' main function: turning Saito into a more subservient and obedient and usable familiar for Louise._

_Of course, Canon Saito decides later on in that same chapter that he does truly love Louise, and that becomes the main reason for him to remain in Halkeginia from then on (along with the desire to protect his friends). But that doesn't change the fact that the runes were indeed influencing Saito in ways far beyond mere repression of homesickness. There's also more lines and quotes supporting my stance, but this AN is gonna be long enough without me inflating it even further with more evidence and explanation of said evidence._

_Oh, and fun fact: This AU Saito truly branched off from the Canon Saito at that aforementioned chapter. Instead of deciding that he truly does love her, AU Saito decided that it was impossible to tell for certain if it is really him that loves Louise or the runes that made him think that way, so he decided to play it safe by distancing himself emotionally from Louise. The nightmares he has is also a result of the fact that the runes have had their control over Saito's mind removed, which had hitherto sealed away such painful memories in order to keep Saito from focusing in on Louise's negative traits. Of course, like I said, there are also differences prior to that point as well._

_One more thing before I move onto the next topic: The runes are not all powerful. Given a powerful enough reason, it is possible, even likely, that the familiar will turn against their master. For example, Sasha, the original Gandalfr and an elf, betrayed Brimir because he tried to cause genocide on her entire freaking race. That is more than enough reason for Sasha to murder Brimir, control of the runes be damned. _

_The runes are not something that enforces outright total mind control or absolute forced compulsion (kind of like the Command Seals from Fate/Stay Night) on the one its marked on. Instead, the runes are a quite and subtle influence that slowly poisons the familiar's mind, nudging and guiding them into following their master. This method is meant to ensure that the familiar him/herself never becomes aware that they're being controlled and brainwashed. And if they never become aware of it, then they'll never try to fight it, excluding in extreme circumstances like aforementioned attempted genocide. _

_Next, something a LOT of people have been mentioning in the reviews was that Saito would have made more sense as a Knight. I had reasons for avoiding this. Three of them._

_The first and the simplest is that I wanted to emphasize the power and abilities of the Gandalfr on its own._

_The second is that it would be ridiculously overpowered in the early points of the story, especially given that my interpretation of the Gandalfr's runes is that they act as a power multiplier, not an additive. Consider this: Even as a Pawn, Saito is essentially a better version of a Knight in literally every single way. Can you imagine what it would be like, then, to have Saito's speed multiplied several fold by the Knight's Piece and then multiplied several fold again by the Gandalfr's runes? In the Rating Game from last chapter, a Knight-Saito would have literally curb stomped everyone by himself. Like, I could have wrapped up the fight against Ravel in two or three paragraphs and the Rating Game itself in just a few pages. Even Riser would have lost one-sidedly since Saito could just keep cutting away at him without ever being hit until Riser's mind and spirit finally breaks._

_In point of fact, nearly every fight until Rias and her Peerage start fighting freaking gods or the dragons or other uber powerful boss level enemies would go one of two ways: either Saito moves faster than the opponent can even begin to react, then beats them with a single attack to a weak point, or he attacks them so much without ever taking a single hit in return that they lose from the sheer amount of injuries._

_Boring._

_And then, leading into my third reason, is that as the story progresses and increasingly tough opponents do begin to appear, simply being a Knight might not be enough for Saito to truly keep up. Even if it was, it would be a truly dull way of keeping him relevant. And I had plans from the beginning on how I want to power up Saito, anyway. That power up plus being a Knight would put Saito a bit too over the top, so I had to make a concession somewhere. By keeping Saito as a Pawn, I can keep him from having too much power constantly, saving it instead as a power boost through Promotion for when it's really necessary. So to all those who really wanted Saito to be a Knight, that's why he's not._

_Of course, I could have made him a Rook. In fact, I was seriously considering that while writing chapter 1 since I think I could quite easily have replaced Rossweisse without negatively impacting the story at all. Heck, in canon the light novels doesn't really develop her as a character at all until volume 17, I think (I don't know for sure since I can't find a fully translated version of it). For the most part, she's just kinda there as a way to increase the Gremory Peerage's power. _

_However, I had plans for what I wanted to do with that Rook piece; plans that I've discarded since then as I came up with another idea that I think would work even better. But by the time I replaced said plans, it was already too late. Chapter 1 had been released and Saito had become a Pawn. Might have been interesting in a way to make Saito a lightning bruiser, though. It might have also had the same problem as the third reason I didn't make Saito a Knight._

_That said, I am aware that making Saito a single Pawn piece is a flawed idea. Personally, I think Saito should have a value of at least three Pawn pieces to reincarnate; two if I was really stretching it. But for the aforementioned reasons, I decided to just roll with him being just a single Pawn piece. But for the sake of the story, I will attempt to justify Saito using up one Pawn Piece right now._

_From what I understand in the High School DxD canon, a person's worth in terms of the number of Pieces they require to reincarnate basically depends on two things: their current power and their potential power. _

_Canonically speaking, Issei is only worth eight Pawn pieces because of his potential power. At the time of his reincarnation, Issei is so weak that he's practically useless. It's only because the Boosted Gear has the potential to grant its wielder unbelievable power that he is worth so many Pieces. _

_Saito is the reverse. In terms of current power, Saito is currently stronger than every member of Rias's Peerage, except Akeno, but including Rias. If anyone is wondering why Akeno is stronger, remember two things: At the moment, Saito has no other weapon besides Derflinger, leaving him unable to take full advantage of his abilities. Next – and I feel that this isn't emphasized enough in canon – Akeno is a Queen. This means that she has the speed and reflexes of a Knight, the durability and strength of a Rook, and the magical powers of a Bishop. Also, she can fly whereas Saito is still unable to. So three things, I guess. This means that she's able to keep track of Saito, if only barely, weather through his attacks, and unleash devastating widespread magics from a place where Saito is incapable of counterattacking._

_However, despite his strength, Saito's potential strength is also by far and away the lowest precisely because he has no real ability for the supernatural. For although his physical limits are surpassed supernaturally every time the runes are activated, they only translate into being able to fight much better mundanely. And even with that, the Gandalfr still has his limits._

_To elaborate, recall from chapter 1 where I described the Gandalfr as being merely a "much better non-magical human." That is what sums up the problem with Saito. Yes, as the Gandalfr he has amazing abilities; he's a superior version of a Knight and can literally use any weapon. However, how does that compare to, say, the Boosted Gear which has the potential to be able to slay freaking gods? Comparing the difference in potential power of the Boosted Gear and the Gandalfr is as stark as the difference between the heavens and the earth. The Gandalfr does not even begin to compare._

_Or compare the difference between the Gandalfr and Sword Birth. While the difference between those two is nowhere near as vast as with the Boosted Gear, I still believe that Sword Birth clearly has the greater potential strength. Fighting a fire wielding mage? No problem. Make a sword of ice that can absorb fire. Fighting an angel, fallen or otherwise? Make a sword of darkness that can absorb light. Fighting a dragon? Create a specially made dragon-slaying sword. And before anyone comments on it, it's true that Derflinger can absorb any kind of magic. However, we're talking about the powers of the Gandalfr vs. Sword Birth, not Derflinger vs Sword Birth. And again, before anyone comments on how Derflinger is tied to the Gandalfr's runes, the blade itself still doesn't count as being part of the Gandalfr's power set, in my opinion at least._

_The point is, in the setting of the High School DxD universe, Sacred Gears such as the Boosted Gear or Sword Birth are so much more powerful and versatile and useful than the Gandalfr's runes, except in certain cases. Furthermore, unlike the runes, Sacred Gears can become even stronger by reaching Balance Breaker. _

_Long story short, the reason why Saito is worth one Pawn is because as he is now, he will soon have the most debilitating case of "can't catch up" syndrome. Although, I will be preventing that from happening because this arc will be addressing that issue in what I believe will be a very interesting way going on into the future._

_Also, to the people wondering why Saito didn't use the exorcist's weapons in the Rating Game, I was actually going to have Saito use them, but then I forgot. Oops. I then realized after I finished writing the chapter that I forgot, but at that point I decided that I didn't even feel like going back and rewriting the entire Rating Game. Meh. I think it turned out better this way, anyways. _

_**SPOILERS** (seriously, don't read past this if you don't like spoilers):_

_So I really disliked the whole Kokabiel arc, both in canon and in this fic (forcing myself to write this was an absolute nightmare), though I understand that it was fairly necessary as it was pivotal in many ways. First was the introduction of the Excaliburs and Durandal (and by extension the Holy Swords as being something more than mass produced lightsabers), along with three characters of varying importance: Xenovia, Vali, and Irina. Secondly, the Kokabiel arc directly leads into the three Biblical factions making an alliance that is rather important for the setting of the story itself. Thirdly was the revelation of Kiba's past (the important part, anyway) and his power up through his Balance Breaker. Kokabiel himself, however, was actually a really minor thing, used only to let Vali deus ex machina (or more like, draconis ex machina) his way into the story. _

_Speaking of which, I was seriously debating whether I wanted to add Xenovia into the Gremory Peerage or not. Honestly, she has a similar problem to Rossweisse in that she's not super important. She's certainly more relevant than Rossweisse, but still easily replaceable or removable (something which I feel is a weakness of many of the harem genre manga/anime/light novels. Not that I've read many of them, though. I'm not really a huge fan of it). However, I ultimately decided to go ahead and do it because I have some plans in mind with her in the long term, though depending on how the story evolves, I may or may not actually use them._

_Seeing as how all of those are fairly critical to the story, I'm kind of forced to keep this chapter mostly in line with canon. Even then, what I tried to do was put those things as a secondary concern. I basically only had three priorities with this chapter. The first was discussing Saito's power up. Speaking of which, this power up will be focusing in on the Gandalfr's third ability which never really sees much, if any, use in canon. Although admittedly, it's more of a direct extension of the Gandalfr's first two abilities rather than being a distinct ability of its own. _

_More accurately, it's going to be what I deem to be an acceptable and logical extrapolation of the Gandalfr's power set. It won't actually be seeing use in this chapter, but it will be shown in the next chapter. The second thing will be dealing with Raynare's return. The third was showcasing Kiba's fighting prowess and the abilities of Sword Birth. I feel like in canon, they don't really show how awesome it can really be since it rarely goes beyond creating swords that can absorb stuff or are just really sharp and strong (Kiba's subspecies Balance Breaker notwithstanding). Maybe that's actually the only thing they can do, but I figured that it'd be cooler to give him a little more power._

_Well, that's (finally) the end of this way too long AN. Enjoy!_

**-Story Start-**

"Tell me. What is Michael up to now?"

"Yes, Lord Kokabiel. Currently, under Archangel Michael's orders, two more exorcists sent by the Church have arrived in Japan to recover the Excaliburs we have stolen. Furthermore, they're the wielders of Excalibur Mimic and Excalibur Destruction."

"Tsk. More grunts?"

"Stronger grunts, Lord Kokabiel."

"Do not presume to correct me. The difference between a worm and an ant is irrelevant."

"Yes, Lord Kokabiel. My apologies."

"But damn that coward Michael. Is he going to continue with these small, petty responses? Will he not respond with proper force? Fight, you fool! I want a war, dammit!"

"Lord Kokabiel, if I may. I believe that Archangel Michael is unlikely to respond with any overt military actions, even with the theft of the Excaliburs. It is my opinion that he values the current peace more than the Excaliburs."

"Hm... It's a pity, but you may be right. In that case, perhaps I should be provoking the devils instead. Yes... That could work. The younger sisters of Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan go to a 'Kuoh Academy,' do they not?"

"Yes, Lord Kokabiel. The city itself is under the control of the Gremory clan, with Rias Gremory acting as its viceroy. Sona Sitri attends the same school as the heiress of Gremory, which is under their joint command."

"Excellent. Then I'll kill them. That should bring about a nice reaction from the devils and will serve as the catalyst for the outbreak of another war. Although just killing them would be no fun. Perhaps I'll set a stage to test their power first. Tell me, what do you know of the daughters of Sitri and Gremory?"

"The Sitri Peerage is fairly lackluster, Lord Kokabiel. They have no members with a particularly noteworthy Sacred Gear or ability, especially in comparison to your own power. However, the Gremory Peerage has the wielder of the Boosted Gear amongst its number, as well as the daughter of Baraqiel."

"Ooh. One of the Longinus, you say? And Baraqiel's rumored daughter? That should be fun, indeed. Excellent. I can look forward to the fight, then."

"Lord Kokabiel. What of the Excalibur users? What shall we do about them?"

"Them? Hm... The Excaliburs do not interest me in the slightest, but since I already have three, I may as well make use of them. Retrieve the two Excaliburs and bring them to Valper. He's been eager to study them more, anyway."

"It will be done, Lord Kokabiel. And... if I may make a request?"

"Speak."

"There is one amongst the Peerage of Rias Gremory that I desire. When you kill the sisters of the Satans and their Peerages, will you spare this one and give him to me?"

"You desire a pet? Very well, then. His name?"

"Saito Hiraga."

"Saito Hiraga, eh? That would be Hiraga Saito in this island country, I think. Fine. I'll grant that wish. Now go. Bring the Excaliburs, Raynare."

"I shall, Lord Kokabiel."

**-Scene Break-**

Saito sat motionless, his upper body bent forward completely such that his forehead laid on the cool, wooden surface of his desk. He felt so exhausted that it was as if he was nearly dead. It wasn't until after class, when Koneko came to him from her seat across the classroom as the rest of the students began packing up to go to their clubs or home, that Saito stirred from that position.

"... Are you all right, Hiraga-senpai?" Koneko asked, a hint of concern in her voice as she leaned her upper body slightly to the side so that her head would be closer to level with his own.

"No. I'd rather fight Ravel Phenex all over again way more than having to learn this 'pre-calculus' stuff. Since when did math become a dark, hellish language meant to summon the souls of the damned?" Saito groaned, his head still facedown on his desk. "And I told you before: We're in the same grade. You don't need to call me 'senpai.'"

"... Ravel?" Koneko frowned as she stood back up properly. "Do you mean Riser Phenex?"

Saito snorted with disgust as he finally raised his head. "No. Not Riser. That perverted moron should just go ahead and die. If he wasn't immortal, I'd love to kill him myself for insulting Ravel by making her his Bishop for the stupidest possible reason. Ravel is a far more dangerous, intelligent, and most importantly, _respectable_ foe than Riser could ever hope to be."

Saito growled as he recalled the completely unapologetic way Riser had stated his reason for putting Ravel in his Peerage. Even now, the mere memory of it was enough to fill Saito with a surge of anger and annoyance. It was with deepest regrets that Saito grudgingly acknowledged that there was unfortunately nothing that he could do about it.

Koneko cocked her head in bemusement. "Oh. Well, Buchou wanted everyone to meet with her in the clubroom during lunch, Hiraga-sen... Hiraga-san."

With a tired sigh, Saito reluctantly stood up, grabbing Derflinger and his belongings as he did so.

"Right. I remember that," he said. "Let's go."

Together, the two left the classroom and began walking down the halls. As usual, Saito felt the uncomfortable gaze of many a jealous males as he walked with the girl that was considered something like the school mascot amongst the students, as well as a few teachers.

Soon, the two arrived at the Occult Research clubroom. Upon entering the room, Saito noticed that, besides Rias and Akeno, there were two other people in the room. It had only been two days since the Rating Game against Riser Phenex, so Saito did not find it too weird that there would be more visitors so soon. What he did find strange was that it seemed that they were here for matters unrelated to that Rating Game, judging from the Kuoh Academy uniforms they wore.

The first one Saito saw was a girl with short black hair styled into a bob cut, her bangs framing her face in a prim manner. Behind her glasses, her violet eyes held a sharp gaze that instantly gave Saito the impression that this person was a very strict, no nonsense type of woman. The way she sat down on one of the clubroom's couches with an absolute perfect posture, her back held perfectly straight and her butt seated near the edge of the sofa as she politely sipped at some tea, only reinforced that impression.

The second person had a slightly more slovenly appearance. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he did not wear the school uniform's blazer. He held himself with a slight, almost bored slouch as he stood behind the girl who was chatting away with Rias, looking as though his presence here was a perfunctory task. That quickly changed when the stranger saw Saito. For whatever reason, his expression turned bright and eager; a complete turnaround from his previous impression.

"Ah," Rias said with a note of surprise as she looked up her conversation. "You two are here a little early, Saito, Koneko."

"A little," Saito agreed, looking curiously at the two visitors. "Who are the guests, Buchou?"

"You mean don't recognize us?" the strict looking girl said, her brows raising in surprise.

"Sorry, I don't," Saito said apologetically, shaking his head. "Should I?"

"Hm... Well, if you don't, that's fine," the girl said, frowning deeply. "It's disappointing, but it's not your fault. It only means that I am still lacking in the capacity of my station."

Saito cocked his head at the strange way the girl spoke, thoroughly befuddled about what she was talking about. Rias spoke up to clarify.

"Saito," Rias said. "This is Shitori Souna, the Student Council President."

"Oh," Saito blinked. Then as he recognized the name, he exclaimed, "Oh!" Saito bowed his head slightly in a belated greeting. "Sorry about that. Pleased to meet you. I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Yes, I know," Souna said, favoring him with an approving look on her face. "My Peerage and I had the pleasure of watching the Rating Game you all had against that sleaze from the Phenex family."

Saito chuckled for a moment. Riser's reputation must truly have been awful if it even reached the ears of the-

Saito's eyes widened. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"Oh my, you didn't think we were the only devils here, did you, Saito-kun?" Akeno asked, giggling slightly, her eyes sparkling with delectation.

"Well... Kind of, actually," Saito admitted sheepishly. "I thought that finding a devil in the human world would be a little rarer than... this."

"You're still new at being a devil, so it isn't strange that you were unable to sense them. Ise and Asia are likely unawares as well," Rias said. "Saito, Shitori Souna's real name is Sona Sitri, the heiress of the Sitri family."

"Pleased to meet you," Sona said politely.

"Likewise," Saito said. "But what's the occasion? We didn't do something to get in trouble, did we?"

"Strictly speaking, you are all guilty of truancy," Sona replied. The corners of her lips curled up ever so slightly; the shadow of a ghost of a specter of an illusion of an amused smile. "Though, given the circumstances of that time, it being necessary for the training for the Rating Game, I'll excuse it. But only this once."

"I appreciate that. I would hate to have to explain to my parents why I was playing hooky," Saito quipped. "So what's going on, really?"

"Firstly, we are here to congratulate my good friend, Rias, for being freed of her engagement to Riser," Sona said, looking towards Rias as she this time smiled earnestly and warmly. The redheaded devil smiled back in gratitude. "Secondly, we are here so that Rias and I can introduce to each other the newest members of our respective Peerages."

"Speaking of which," Rias said. "Didn't you tell me before that you had two new additions to your Peerage? Where's the other one?"

"Yes," Sona said. "I'll have to introduce you to my Rook next time, though. We're still in the process of getting him situated in Japan and enrolled in the college department of the school."

"I see. I'll be looking forward to it, then," Rias said. "Anyway, for the time being, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself first, Saito?"

Saito nodded. He looked at the boy and smiled in a friendly manner. "I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Saji Genshirou," the blond boy, who had hitherto looked as if he was going to burst with impatient excitement, finally blurted out. "And I just want to say that I am really honored to finally meet you in person, Hiraga-san."

Saito blinked several times with bewilderment at Saji's enthusiasm. "Um... You are?"

"Yes," Saji said, nodding eagerly, taking a step closer to Saito. "After I saw your fights in the Rating Game, I was really impressed. You're my role model, Hiraga-san. I really hope I can be as strong as you one day. Actually, can I just call you Saito-san? You can just call me Genshirou or Saji or whatever you want."

"Uh... Sure...?" Saito said as he took a cautious step away from the boy. Though he was admittedly flattered at the sudden declaration of admiration, it still felt awkward and uncomfortable for him. "Thanks."

"No problem. But really, you were completely amazing in that Rating Game. The way you fought and beat so many of Riser's Pieces was just awesome! Even I could tell that none of them were particularly weak," Saji said rapidly, gaining even more speed the more he talked. "By the way, how many Pieces did you take? I only took four Pawn pieces, but you're way stronger than I am, so I bet you took at least six or seven. Am I right?"

"Saji," Sona interjected crisply. "You are mistaken. The one who took seven pieces was Hyoudou Issei."

Saji whirled around to face his King, giving her an expression of total disbelief.

"But, Kaichou," Saji protested, calling her by the Japanese word used to describe her station as student council president. "Isn't that completely impossible? How can one of the infamous perverted trio, who publicly announced that he wanted Rias-senpai's virginity in front of a dozen or so high class devils and one of the Satans himself" - Rias blushed furiously as she buried her face in her hands. Akeno patted her shoulder consolingly, though her lips, twitching as they smiled, betrayed her amusement over the situation - "be worth more Pieces than Saito-san? Didn't he do a lot more? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Saji. Don't be so foolish," Sona admonished sternly, causing the boy to cringe. "Just because it seems as though Hyoudou-kun did not do much does not mean that he is weak. Most likely, Rias purposefully held him back in order to use his Boosted Gear at full strength against Riser. Am I right, Rias?"

"Yes," Rias confirmed. "Exactly so."

"Remember this, Saji," Sona said in a lecturing tone. "For the sake of the team, sometimes a person might have to play a role that seems small. However, that is not truly the case. There is no such thing as a minor role. Everyone is important in a team."

"I understand, Kaichou," Saji said reluctantly. "But still, how can it be that Saito-san only took up one Pawn piece?" Saji's eyes widened suddenly as he came to some sort of realization. He looked at Saito. "Wait. Can it be that a Mutation Piece was used on you? Yeah, that must be it!"

"A Mutation Piece?" Saito frowned as he looked to Rias for an answer.

"To put it simply, it is a very rare and special type of Evil Piece that has, as its name suggests, mutated," Rias explained promptly. "By itself, it is sufficient to reincarnate those that would ordinarily take multiple Evil Pieces. And no, Saji-kun. Saito did not use a Mutation Piece."

"But... this is impossible!" Saji declared, running his hand through his hair as he looked increasingly bewildered and frustrated.

"I don't really get what the big deal is," Saito said, becoming confused by Saji's confusion. "Does it really make a difference if I was reincarnated with one Pawn piece or more?"

"Yeah," Saji answered. "The more Pieces it takes, the stronger it means you are."

"Really?" Saito frowned.

"That's not entirely accurate, Hiraga-kun," Sona interjected. "It is only a general rule of thumb. To explain it more precisely... Do you know of the chess piece relative values?"

"No," Saito responded, shaking his head.

"In chess, each piece is assigned a certain value, measured in pawn pieces, based on the power of the piece relative to the others," Sona explained. "A pawn is worth one pawn; a bishop and a knight are both worth three pawns each; a rook is worth five pawns; and a queen is worth nine pawns. The Evil Pieces system, being based on chess, has adopted these heuristic valuations. Depending on the strength and abilities of a potential servant, their value in terms of Pawn pieces will also vary. Some may be so strong that they can only be reincarnated as a Queen. Others may be valued low enough that they are able to be reincarnated as any of the different Pieces. What has Saji so confused is that you only required one Pawn – something that would normally indicate you as being the weakest of Rias's Peerage."

"Ah. So that's how it is," Saito mused. "That sounds pretty complicated."

"And it seriously doesn't make any sense!" Saji said frustratedly, arms gesticulating wildly. "I mean, you took out three Pawns, a Rook, two Knights, a Bishop, and three freaking Queens on your own! How the hell are you worth only one Pawn?"

Saito tilted his head back and let out a deep belly laugh.

"Look, Saji," Saito chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm really honored that you think so highly of me, but the truth is that I'm not as amazing as you're making me sound to be."

"Oh my," Akeno piped up. "What do you mean by that, Saito-kun?"

"Well, for starters, I don't have a Sacred Gear like Hyoudou-san, Kiba-san, or Asia-san," Saito said. "And my demonic power is just awful, so I can't use magic like you or Buchou can, Akeno-neesama."

"But you're so strong," Saji protested.

Saito shook his head. "Compare me to Hyoudou-san, Saji. He has the Boosted Gear, which Buchou tells us is apparently capable of slaying freaking gods. But me? All I'm able to do is fight like a much better non-magical human."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Rias added in jokingly. Despite himself, Saito couldn't help but smile at her.

"As for those Pieces I beat?" Saito said, turning back to Saji. "The fact of the matter is that I only actually beat three of them by myself: The first three Pawns. Of those three, two of them were just little kids using a really silly choice in weapons, while the third was by far my all around inferior in combat. As for the Rook, the Knights, and the Bishop? I lost to them completely, thanks to Ravel's, the other Bishop, leadership. It was my sword here, Derflinger" - Saito fondly patted the cotton case containing his sentient blade - "that beat them."

"What do you mean?" Saji said, confused. The others in the room similarly looked at Saito with keen interest.

"Once it has absorbed and stored a sufficient amount of magical energy," Saito said, "Derflinger can expend that stored power to take control of my body. That's what it did in that fight, after I lost. Derf was the one who beat them; not me. If I had a different sword, I would have been retired then."

"But you still beat those three Queens," Saji said as if trying to shore up his increasingly crumbling image of his role model.

"Derf was the one who beat Yubelluna as well, and she was only beaten thanks to a sneak attack," Saito said, unrelentingly tearing down said image. "As for Ni and Li?" Saito shrugged. "Giving me sole credit for that is just unfair. Not just me, but I think all of us would have been retired by them and Riser if Kiba-san hadn't protected us with his Sacred Gear. It was a team effort."

"But... But..." Saji ground his teeth together in frustration.

Saito put a hand on a crestfallen Saji's shoulder. "Sorry, Saji," Saito said. "But the plain truth is that I'm really not as strong as you think I am. I had to use literally everything I had at my disposal in order to survive in that Rating Game. Even then, there were times when that was not enough."

Looking a little dejected, Saji made no response. His eyes were cast slightly downward, avoiding Saito's gaze.

"Can Derflinger really do that, though, Saito?" Rias asked curiously. "Taking control of your body, I mean?"

"Yes," Saito replied as he took his hand off of Saji. "Though because of how inefficient it is in terms of the energy consumption, it's not something we get to use often."

"Are you sure it's entirely safe?" Rias said in a worried manner. "Most of the time, things that involve you losing bodily control to an outside entity tend to be rather... well... malicious."

"Derf can only do it when I'm dead, unconscious, or allow it to," Saito said, shrugging. "In other words, when I'm not resisting its will in the slightest. And it's fine. I trust Derf."

"Its done it to you when you were dead?" Rias said, suddenly very alarmed.

"That was just a hypothetical example. I was just trying to make a point," Saito lied easily, meeting her gaze with a calm mask. "Anyway, that's why I'm only worth one Pawn, Saji."

"Oh, I see," Saji groused, looking thoroughly disgruntled, as though he couldn't accept Saito's answer in the least.

"Saji," Sona said calmly. "Take this as a lesson. The amount of Evil Pieces a person takes is not an absolute determiner of power. The true value of a Piece varies based on the circumstance and the person in question themselves. In the right situation and with proper training, even a Pawn can be stronger than a Queen. And although he took only one Pawn Piece, Hiraga-kun is still, by your very own admission, far stronger than you. So work hard to catch up and surpass him. Understood?"

"Yes, Kaichou," Saji said glumly, though with a firmly resolute spark in his eyes.

Then with far more sternness than Saito had thought possible for such a simple motion, Sona turned her head to face him. "Now as for you, Hiraga-kun. Are you telling me that you are in possession of a real weapon on school grounds?"

"Ah. Um..." Saito fidgeted, suddenly feeling very nervous as he quailed underneath the stern gaze. "Yes?"

"You realize that carrying a weapon on school grounds is against the rules, correct?" Sona said. Saito swore he could see the beginnings of an angry, demonic aura appear all around the student council president.

"Which is why I made sure to keep it nice and hidden so that nobody else would find out," Saito said, keeping his voice deliberately respectful. "Without Derf, I'm pretty much useless in a fight, so I need to keep it close by just in case I need to protect Buchou or the others."

To Saito's great relief, that demonic aura faded as Sona pursed her lips. She pondered the matter for a short time, before she nodded once, curtly. "Very well, then. As the future is always unpredictable, I will allow this one exception to the rule so that you can better protect yourself and Rias from whatever threat that may appear, although I do not believe such a situation will arise. However, should any of the other normal students learn that you are carrying a real sword, I shall confiscate it immediately. Understood?"

"Of course, Kaichou," Saito said, feeling very much relieved. "Thank you so much."

"Good," Sona said curtly.

The sound of a doorknob turning caused everyone's glances to turn towards the door. Issei, Kiba, and Asia walked into the room then. With the general attention in the room now focused away from him and onto the two other newcomers of the Gremory Peerage introducing themselves to Sona and Saji, Saito allowed his thoughts to slowly begin to wander. He looked at the back of his left hand and frowned thoughtfully.

**-Scene Break-**

Saito sighed as he laid on the stone surface of the school's rooftop, warmed from the constant, gentle buffeting of the sun's rays, and held his gloved left hand over him, fingers half curled open, its back facing towards him. Beside Saito was Derflinger, whom Saito took out of his case and sheath so that it too could enjoy the sun for the short time they had before club activities officially began. Because it had been stuck in such a stuffy bag for so long, such a reprieve was greatly appreciated by the sentient sword.

"What's wrong, Partner?" Derflinger asked. "You've been staring at the back of your left hand ever since lunch time. Is something wrong with your runes?"

"No," Saito said. "I've just been thinking about some things."

"Yeah?" Derflinger said. "Like what?"

"About the fact that I'm actually pretty weak," Saito said, squeezing his left hand into a tight fist. "I'm really weak, Derf."

"Is this about the stuff you said to that 'Saji' kid from before?"

"Sort of," Saito admitted. "I guess it's something that has been in the back of my mind for a while now, but that was the first time I ever really put it into words. Until today, I never seriously thought about it."

"Partner," Derflinger snorted. "You're over thinking this. You're also giving me too much credit; you yourself too little. You're the man who stood alone against an army of seventy thousand and succeeded in stopping them, for crying out loud. How in Brimir's name are you weak?"

Saito chuckled softly. "I am the man who stood against seventy thousand and lost against five."

Derflinger snorted again. "Is that what this is about? You feeling sore about that one little loss?"

"I respect Ravel a great deal for beating me," Saito said. "But, yes. It doesn't change the fact that I feel humiliated for losing against just five opponents." Saito sighed and rested his hand against his face. "I should have been retired then and there, Derf. You were the one who beat them, not me."

"I'm your sword, Partner," Derflinger said. "My power is your power."

"But I can't always rely on you using my body," Saito countered. "It's not an ability that can be used so freely. All I did was take out those first three Pawns, who were weak enough that Koneko-chan probably could have fought all four of them on her own and still win."

"You took out those two Queens so that the big boobed redhead would have a clear shot," Derflinger pointed out. "Even if it was with that handsome guy's help, you did it. That's teamwork. It's good."

"It's true that teamwork is good," Saito agreed. "But it can only be called teamwork when everyone involved is useful and relevant. I was only lucky to be both in the Rating Game. But it's like I told Saji: I had to use everything I had at my disposal. I've felt the limits of my power, Derf. I need to get stronger. Strong enough to at least defeat my enemies on my own, because there will come a time when we'll have to fight opponents far stronger than the likes of Riser. And if I remain as I am now when that time comes, then I will only drag everyone else down – or worse, I'll get us killed. Well, that was how it was in Halkeginia, anyway."

Derflinger chuckled. "That's true. And if we're going to talk about Halkeginia, I guess right now would be like that time you lost to that Wardes guy. Just don't start moping on me again, Partner."

"Yeah, yeah," Saito said sarcastically. "Laugh it up, Derf. I really was troubled by that loss at that time, you know."

"I know," Derflinger said. "Anyway, how do you plan on getting stronger, then?"

Saito sighed wearily. "That's the problem," he said. "It's not like I have a Sacred Gear like Hyoudou or Kiba, and I'm currently incapable of using magic. If possible, I'd love to get my hands on some guns and explosives, but given my country's extremely tight gun laws, it's going to be impossible for a student like me to get any. I guess I could try talking to Rias Gremory about it. Maybe she has some connections I could make use of, though I'd really hate to feel like I owe her any more than I already do."

"Seems like you're stuck in a bad place, then," Derflinger mused. "Well in that case, aside from getting new weapons, I recommend focusing on improving your demonic energy so that you are able to wield magic more freely. That would present more options for you in combat."

"Hmm..." Saito mulled over the suggestion. "Being able to use magic would definitely be useful." Saito nodded once. "I'll try talking to Akeno about being my teacher."

"Yeah. It'd be good to see you get stronger," Derflinger said. When it spoke again, its voice suddenly became very somber. "I'd hate to see you die again, Partner."

Saito smiled at the sword. "Thanks, Partner."

"Yeah. Don't mention it," Derflinger replied. "You should get going, though. Our little leisure time is almost over, isn't it?"

"In a bit, yes," Saito said as he stood up.

Once Saito stood up to full height, he extended his arms upward, arcing his back slightly, and stretched his body with a satisfied moan. As he rolled his shoulders and rubbed his neck, Saito noticed something from the corner of his eye. Not too far from the school grounds, a plume of dust was rising up into the air. Saito frowned as he picked up Derflinger and approached the edge of the rooftop closest to the scene. Gripping the sword's hilt tightly, Saito felt the runes of the Gandalfr activate. With his sharpened senses, Saito squinted as he strove to see what was going on as the dust slowly began to clear.

Though the veil of dust made it too difficult to make out any distinct features, Saito was able to see the figures of three people wielding swords clashing against each other. Saito frowned in consternation. A fight? This close to the school?

Saito hesitated for only the barest of moments. He had no real reason to intrude on this fight. It had nothing to do with him. But even so, he couldn't simply ignore it. Not when it was so close to both innocent people and the rest of the Gremory Peerage. Nodding to himself, Saito went and grabbed the rest of his things, tucking Derflinger into the cotton case, before bolting back into the building and down the stairs. As he ran towards the ground floor of the school, Saito avoided using the speed of the Gandalfr in order to aid him; it would have attracted far too much attention. But as soon as he was out of the building and away from the sight of others, Saito took out Derflinger once more and let his runes shine.

In less than a minute of hard sprinting, Saito had arrived at the scene of the fight. Two of the combatants were girls likely around his own age, judging from appearances. The first was a Caucasian that had short blue hair with a green fringe near the front. She wore an all black outfit consisting of a leotard and skin-tight gloves and boots that reached up to her mid-biceps and mid-thighs respectively. But what truly captured Saito's attention was the wicked looking sword that filled him with an inexplicable dread. He licked his lips nervously as he quickly glanced over the weapon. It was an abnormally large sword, one that looked entirely out of place in the girl's hands. Its crossguard was composed of two axelike blades. The blade of the sword itself was too big and blunt to be used for anything but crushing blows, and it appeared as though the blade was formed of three blades fused together, giving the tip three sharp prongs in a crownlike pattern.

The second girl, a Japanese, had long light-brown hair tied into two twin ponytails near the sides of her head. She wore an identical outfit to the first girl. The only major difference was that this girl was wielding a far more plain looking Japanese katana. But like with the blue-haired girl's sword, Saito felt an uncanny fear rising up within him just by being in the blade's very presence.

Whatever those swords were, they weren't normal.

Between the two girls and their opponent was a large crater; the cause of the plume of dust. Saito only briefly wondered what weapon or magic had been used to form such a thing before the curiosity was quickly pushed out of his mind by the sight of who the third combatant was.

"Freed!" Saito snarled, Derflinger ready in hand to fight.

The silver-haired, crazed stray exorcist blinked as he looked at Saito. Then his lips spread into a wide, insane, feral grin.

"Hahaha!" Freed cackled, twirling a sword of his own around in one hand. Like with the girls' swords, this one, too, left Saito feeling very afraid, though Saito forcibly swallowed down his fear and mentally prepared himself for combat. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Saito-chan?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Saito demanded.

"I was thinking about killing these two lovely ladies and stealing their Excaliburs," Freed said with a callous shrug. "But, well, since you're here, I think I'll go ahead and take my leave. Hey, Saito-chan. Let's have our death match some time soon, mkay?"

"Wait! Stop!" Saito yelled. But even as he began to run towards Freed, the crazed man took out a small shining orb from his coat's pocket and threw it on the ground. There was an intense flash of light, instinctively forcing Saito to close his eyes and look away from the source, lest he be completely blinded. When the light faded and Saito opened his eyes again, Freed was gone. Saito spat angrily, kicking up some dirt in frustration as he did so. Then, remembering he wasn't alone, Saito looked towards the two girls. He had absolutely no idea why he was so afraid of their swords, but his instincts were screaming at him that they were very, very dangerous and that he should get as far away from them as possible, as soon as possible. Suppressing that instinct, Saito very deliberately put on a friendly expression as he greeted them, though he kept Derflinger unsheathed and ready to use. "Hi. Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," the blue-haired girl said curtly.

"I see. That's... good, then," Saito said, keeping a wary eye on their blades. "Well. Goodbye."

Saito very cautiously began to leave, though he never allowed the two to disappear from his sight as he did so. The blue-haired girl suddenly called out to him. "Wait," she said. "Who is your master, devil?"

Saito froze. He looked suspiciously and warily at the blue-haired girl. "And who are you that I should answer to that?"

"I am Xenovia," the blue-haired girl said. "This is my partner, Irina Shidou. We are exorcists sent by the Church and we require an audience with the devil who claims ownership over these lands, Rias Gremory."

"Exorcists?" Saito pursed his lips. "Then you'll forgive me if I say that there is no way in hell I am letting you two get near that person, I trust?"

"This is of the utmost importance," Xenovia said.

Saito arched an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to know if you guys aren't assassins that will try to kill Rias Gremory as soon as you get close enough to her?"

"As if we, the believers of God, would resort to such underhanded means," Xenovia scoffed. "If we wish to kill you, we will do so with the honest courage born from our faith in God."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Saito muttered to himself. Clearing his throat, Saito spoke up loudly enough for the two exorcists to hear. "Fine. But only on two conditions.

"Name them."

"First, I will have you promise, with your God as your witness, that you will make no move to harm Rias Gremory or those of her Peerage in any way, directly or indirectly, during the course of this meeting," Saito said. "The second is that I will have you two walk in front of me while we go to meet her."

Xenovia smirked. "Are you that afraid of us, devil?"

"Of those swords of yours, yes," Saito retorted easily.

"Fine. We accept," Xenovia said, lowering her sword in a peaceful gesture. "Now, take us to her."

Saito nodded grimly, sheathing Derflinger only after he watched with blunt surprise as Irina's katana morphed like a fluid thing into a pretty, pink cotton armband, wrapping itself around her left arm's bicep like a snake. Although, he kept Derflinger in hand in order to activate his Gandalfr's runes at any given moment. Precautionary measures.

"Right," Saito said. "Let's go."

**-Scene Break-**

Rias pursed her lips into a tight line as she folded her hands together. Sitting across from her, on the couch opposite to the one she was on, were the two Church-sent exorcists that Saito had brought to the Occult Research clubroom. Their weapons, two of the seven Excaliburs, laid on the coffee table between them. Behind Rias, her Peerage stood. Akeno, Koneko, and Saito all had a cautious air about them, as if preparing to fight; Issei looked mildly confused; Asia was hiding halfway behind Issei; and Kiba exuded a murderous aura that was palpable for everyone in the room as he glared at the two exorcists.

"I understand," Rias said. "In other words, what you want is not our cooperation or enmity, merely that we swear to remain as neutral bystanders in this matter as you recover the stolen Excaliburs, or failing that, to destroy them."

"Yes," Xenovia nodded.

Although Rias put on a calm expression, internally she felt nothing but indignant anger at the audacity of these two. They had not so much made a request as they had made a demand that she ignore a battle between the Church and fallen angel factions in the midst of her family's own territory. She was sorely tempted to tell these two girls to go back home in a very strongly worded manner because of their rudeness.

Yet, despite that, she could not allow her emotions to control her mind and rationality. Rias understood intimately that if she and her Peerage intervened, it could potentially cause another war between the three factions of God and the Church, the devils, and the fallen angels. Such a thing needed to be avoided at all costs, whatever the cost.

In light of that, she could almost appreciate the two exorcists' efforts at keeping this matter as quiet and secretive as possible. Almost.

"Very well," Rias said. "On my honor as the heiress of House Gremory, neither I nor any of mine shall interfere with the Church's recovery of the Excaliburs, so long as they too do not attempt to harm any under my family's protection during this time."

"The Church recognizes and accepts your conditions," Xenovia replied promptly. "With that, negotiations are complete. We'll be taking our leave now."

"Okay, Xenovia," Irina chirped in a cheerful, bubbly voice. "Bye-bye, everyone!"

But as the two stood up and began walking towards the door, Xenovia paused and frowned as she peered at Asia. The blonde Bishop quickly hid further behind Issei, who looked at Asia behind him, then at Xenovia, and then frowned in further confusion.

"You," Xenovia said. "You're Asia Argento the Witch, are you not?"

Asia tensed as she clung tightly to Issei. Rias felt an eyebrow twitch as Asia's traumatic past was brought up so callously, and worse, as an insult.

"Hmph. I suppose it's fitting that a Witch should become a devil," Xenovia said plainly. "Let's go, Irina."

"Asia Argento?" Irina frowned, cocking her head as she put one finger to her chin in a thinking gesture. "Oh! You mean that infamous saint-turned-heretic, right, Xenovia?"

"Yes," Xenovia said, narrowing her eyes at Asia. "Though truth be told, I had not thought that even you would fall so deep as to becoming a devil."

Rias's right hand clenched into a tight, angry fist, her nails digging into her palm deeply, as the atmosphere became even heavier and more tense.

"Hey, knock it off, you two," Issei growled angrily. "It's not Asia-chan's fault what happened to her. The Church was the one who abandoned Asia-chan just for healing a devil, and it was God that left her to die to a damn fallen angel."

"If her faith in God was true, then she would not have died," Xenovia said as if it was a matter-of-fact.

"Or maybe your God just isn't as great as you think he is," Issei snapped back.

"That's awful! How dare you say that, Ise-kun!" Irina said furiously.

"Ise-kun?" Issei blinked at Irina. "Wait, do I know you?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Irina scowled, looking offended. "You're mean, Ise-kun."

"Um... Sorry?" Issei said, before shaking his head and scowling. "Wait! That's not important right now. What is important is that you two insulted Asia-chan when she didn't do anything wrong. You girls need to apologize to her."

"What's wrong with calling her what she is?" Xenovia scoffed. "She is what she is, and what she is is a Witch, a heretic, and a devil."

"Stop that!" Issei said as Asia clung to him more tightly from behind. "Even if you're girls, if you keep saying things like that to Asia-chan, I'll hit you!"

"Oh?" A steely glint flashed in Xenovia's eyes. "Does that mean you are challenging us to a fight?"

Rias cleared her throat, seeking to step into the conversation that was quickly going into a direction that Rias wanted to avoid. But just as she opened her mouth to cease the argument before it escalated any further, Kiba spoke up, hostile intent clear in his voice.

"That sounds like a great idea," Kiba declared.

"Yuuto!"

"Buchou. Please give us your permission to have a 'friendly' sparring match," the Knight asked tersely, and in a way that only barely avoided sounding like an order.

Rias sighed as she ran her hand through her hair in a frustrated gesture. She looked at the two exorcists who were staring at Kiba.

"And who are you?" Xenovia said.

"I suppose I would be something like your senior, wielder of Excalibur," Kiba growled. "Although..."

Just then, a myriad of demonic swords of all different shapes and sizes and colors, but all born through Kiba's Sacred Gear, materialized in the room. They appeared on the floor, on the walls, and on the ceiling. It was an overtly challenging gesture that clearly indicated Kiba's hostility towards the two and the holy swords that they possessed.

"... I was apparently a failure."

"Sword Birth," Xenovia stated as she narrowed her eyes. "Interesting. Truth be told, I am also interested in testing the might of the servants of Rias Gremory; even more so if one of our so-called seniors is the opponent."

Rias scowled. It seemed that nothing she said would be able to change the collision course that these two were dead set upon having. Even so, the potential ramifications of such a fight was too dangerous for Rias to simply ignore.

"No," Rias said firmly. "If you two were to get hurt by us devils while on a mission from the Church, or vice versa, it could potentially spark a much greater fire."

"It won't be a problem so long as this remains a simple, non-lethal sparring match," Xenovia said brusquely.

Rias sighed again and shook her head. "Very well, then. But if it starts to look like it will be too dangerous, I am stopping the fight. Understood?"

"We understand," Xenovia said.

A sharp, zealous look flashed in Kiba's eyes. "Thank you, Buchou."

**-Scene Break-**

In a small, hidden glade in the thicket of trees surrounding the old school building, in which the Occult Research clubroom was located, the members of the club and the two exorcists had gathered. Saito watched from the sidelines as Issei and Kiba prepared to face off against Xenovia and Irina. The two exorcists had already cast aside the white robes they wore to conceal their black skintight outfits, the robes lying on the grass, along with the white cloth Xenovia had used to wrap her Excalibur.

"Saito-kun," Akeno whispered from beside him as Rias confirmed with the four combatants the formal rules of the fight. "Who do you think will win?"

Saito shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. Though I don't believe I have seen everything he's capable of, I do think Kiba-san is very strong and skilled, and his Sword Birth is powerful and versatile. If he fought normally, I think he'd have a fair chance of winning. But as he is right now... I'm not sure why, but he's too heated and angry. I think that might hinder his ability to fight as well as he normally can."

"Yes," Akeno nodded in agreement. "An accurate analysis. And of the others?"

Saito pursed his lips in thought as he glanced over the other three combatants. "Hyoudou-san's Boosted Gear is very powerful, both in a direct fight and as a supporter, thanks to his Gift ability. His weakness is that it takes time to gather his strength. Frankly speaking, I don't know if he'll have that kind of time. Well, all this hinges on what Xenovia and Irina are capable of. And for them, all I know is based off of my own conjectures from seeing the aftermath of their fight with Freed."

"Wait," Akeno interrupted suddenly, looking at Saito sharply. "They were fighting Freed? Where? When?"

"Before I brought them to Buchou," Saito answered. "They were fighting Freed in an empty lot not that far from here. Seeing as how those two managed to survive unscathed against Freed, it's safe to assume they have at the very least a level of skill and power equal to his."

"Interesting," Akeno murmured, gaze fixating on the two female exorcists. "Although perhaps not all that surprising given that they possess the Excaliburs."

"By the way, what's so special about the Excaliburs, Akeno-neesama?" Saito asked curiously.

"It's because they're one of what you could call the 'true' or 'original' holy swords," Akeno replied.

"True holy swords?" Saito cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"You remember the holy swords that the exorcists under Raynare's command used, correct?" When Saito nodded, Akeno continued speaking. "They are mass produced holy swords made by humans with the intent of being able to be used by anyone. Because of that, they are poor facsimiles of the original holy swords – the four swords created by the biblical God."

"Swords created by God?" Saito said with eyes spread wide.

"Yes," Akeno said. "Their names are Excalibur, Ascalon, Durandal, and Caliburn; peerless swords that can slay even the mightiest of devils. However, Excalibur was shattered long ago and was reforged into seven weaker blades by the Church. Well, I say weaker, but they are still exceptionally dangerous for we devils. To put it simply, although broken, the seven pieces of Excalibur are still one of the greatest devil-slaying weapons in existence."

"Scary," Saito murmured. It was no wonder, then, that he felt such instinctual fear towards those swords, Saito thought to himself.

"All right," Rias said clearly as she finished talking to the four combatants. She then stepped away from them, towards the edge of the clearing where Saito and the others were standing. "Begin!"

"Boosted Gear!" Issei cried out, causing the red gauntlet to appear over his left arm.

"Boost!"

Seeing this, both Xenovia and Irina's eyebrows rose up in surprise.

"A Longinus?" Xenovia said. "I never would have thought that we would meet the user of the Boosted Gear in this island country."

"I'll take him, Xenovia!" Irina said as she dashed forward to meet Issei in combat, grabbing the armband around her left arm as she moved. Then, in an action that appeared as though Irina had miraculously pulled out a Japanese katana straight out of her arm, the armband morphed into a blade. A fast but plain horizontal stroke of the Excalibur was dodged by Issei, who jumped back in order to avoid the attack. Seeing this, Irina suddenly clasped her hands together in a posture for prayer. "Ise-kun! What kind of cruel twist of fate is this that you've become a devil? Ah, I understand now. This must be a trial! A trial from God! By overcoming this, I'll become one step closer to becoming a true believer! So accept this judgment from my Excalibur, Ise-kun! Amen!"

"Seriously! Who _are_ you!?" Issei demanded, bewildered as he evaded another flurry of attacks Irina launched at him.

"Boost!"

Saito observed their fight carefully. Irina's Excalibur, it seemed, possessed the ability to transform into different shapes and colors, though what kind of limit there was to it, or if there even was one, Saito wasn't certain.

Furthermore, was this really all that Irina was capable of? She appeared to be satisfied keeping the transforming Excalibur in a set shape, thereby completely defeating the purpose of having a freely changing weapon. Her movements too, while quick and precise, were not particularly intense or overwhelming. Even Issei, whose only real combat experience was from the ten days of intense training prior to the Rating Game, plus the Rating Game itself, was able to smoothly dodge the attacks.

Either Issei had improved a lot more than Saito had originally thought, or Irina, who seemed to have some kind of past connection with Issei, was taking it easy on him. Perhaps both.

Turning his eye to the other pair of fighters, Saito watched Xenovia and Kiba. They had not begun to fight yet. Instead, they were facing off against each other; two swords of fire and ice in Kiba's hands, and the large, ominous Excalibur in Xenovia's. Judging from the large crater that had been left on the ground when Xenovia and Irina had fought Freed, Saito guessed that Xenovia's Excalibur possessed some kind of ability related to explosions or some other great release of force. His expression shadowed, Kiba laughed darkly.

"I never would have thought I would get a chance to meet an Excalibur user out here in Japan," Kiba said, a small and evil smile on his face. "How fortunate of me."

"You should save such words for when you're actually able to beat me," Xenovia replied. "But since you are the user of Sword Birth, I take it you are rumored lone survivor of the Holy Sword Project?"

"That's right," Kiba said coldly. "My power is the will and hatred of my dead comrades. That is why I will take revenge for all of us who were thrown aside by the Church by destroying every last Excalibur."

"And as I said, save those words for when you're actually capable of defeating me," Xenovia said. "Now, come."

Spitting out a curse, Kiba rushed forward. Despite the fact that a normal human should have been almost completely incapable of keeping track of a Knight's sheer speed, Xenovia was doing just that. Her eyes flicked back and forth even as Kiba zigzagged and feinted in an effort to throw her off. More, because Xenovia remained rooted to the spot, when Kiba tried to circle around her, all she had to do was simply turn her body with minimal movements to maintain visual contact of the fleet footed Knight.

In a way, it was almost like seeing a battle between a Knight and a Rook unfold. The Rook, knowing that it cannot match the Knight in terms of speed and mobility, must wait until the Knight makes an attack and take advantage of the opening that always results from going on the offensive in order to make a counterattack of their own. Still, for a human to be able to track a Knight, Xenovia must have been born with excellent reflexes, Saito thought.

Impatient at the lack of openings that Xenovia was presenting, Kiba charged in recklessly, swinging his swords of fire and ice down on Xenovia. With a wide but fast swing, Xenovia's Excalibur cut through the air, cleaving Kiba's swords apart as if they were brittle glass. Kiba's eyes widened momentarily, then narrowed as he snarled and took his distance, new demonic swords appearing in his hands. Kiba charged forward and the two began clashing again.

At the same time, Issei had succeeded in stalling for enough time and had launched into an offensive.

"Boost!"

"All right!" Issei cried out. "Here I go!"

"Explosion!"

Issei's movements suddenly accelerated as he ceased his evasive fighting style and moved into a more aggressive one. Ducking a swipe of Irina's sword, he kept his body low to the ground as he drove a leg forward in a wide, swinging arc, seeking to literally sweep Irina off her feet. With a small hop backwards, Irina avoided the attack. Recovering from his failed sweep, Issei quickly got back to his feet and charged forward. He made three, four quick open handed thrusts to Irina's body, who nimbly weaved through the onslaught. A counter thrust from the Excalibur forced Issei to back away sharply from the exorcist, putting a respectable amount of space between them again.

"My, my," Akeno said, putting her right hand to her cheek and folding her left arm across her belly using it as a rest for her right elbow. "Ise-kun is moving quite well."

"Of course he is," Rias said proudly, arms akimbo. "That was the entire point of his training, after all. Even if it was only for ten days, he trained diligently. His efforts do not lie."

"Indeed, Buchou," Akeno agreed.

_Still, what is he up to?_ Saito wondered curiously as he looked at the strangely intense expression on Issei's face, his concentration palpable even to Saito. Aside from the first sweeping kick, Issei had thus far avoided using any punches or kicks. Instead, he kept using open handed thrusts. Was he trying to grab Irina in order to grapple with her? That was a perfectly viable option to take, especially given the range disadvantage he had. Although Saito was not aware of any training Issei might have had in that style of fighting, given the power advantage he had over Irina thanks to his Boosted Gear, he could forcibly lock down Irina with brute strength.

Which was why the way Issei was "attacking" confused Saito. Issei's hands moved without rhyme or reason, ignoring the primary weak points in Irina's defense and lacking any kind of power or coordination. Instead, Issei was pouring all of his energy into pure speed, his hands probing through any gap, no matter how big or small, as if simply slapping Irina anywhere on her body would be good enough for him.

Issei was up to something, of that Saito was certain. For now, however, that was a mystery, because with light, faylike movements, Irina continued to dance around and between all of Issei's thrusts, dodging them splendidly; her Excalibur flickering out at the myriad of openings in Issei's stance. Yet, Issei easily dodged those attacks, and with every attack and dodge, Issei was refining his movements. Slowly but surely, he was getting closer to landing a hand on Irina. And then, just as Irina pirouetted backwards, landing in front of Asia and Koneko, Issei lunged forward with all his strength.

"I have you now!" Issei cried out with a gleefully. "Special attack: Dress Break!"

Fingers of both hands outstretched, Issei dove for Irina. Her eyes widened as she quickly spun to the side, allowing Issei to sail past her and land on Asia and Koneko. Thanks to Koneko's strength, she managed to catch the Pawn and prevent them from falling into an gangly heap. But as she did, Issei's hands brushed the two girls' clothes.

"Oh shit," Issei whimpered.

In a flash, Asia and Koneko's clothes erupted, blown away into shredded bits of cloth, leaving Koneko and Asia almost entirely in the nude, save for the few scraps that still clung to their bodies.

Asia shrieked as she immediately tried to cover up her privacy, while Koneko blushed furiously and glared at Issei with disgust, her arms also hiding her body. Saito's jaw dropped open as he gawked at their nude bodies for a second – though admittedly a rather long second – before he quickly turned his head away, politely.

_At least the name of the move was very literal,_ Saito couldn't help but think. Strangely enough, Saito found himself not at all as shocked as he knew he should have been after witnessing such a perverted technique. Was it because he had been inured to Issei's deviancy due to the events leading up to and during the Rating Game? That was probably it. Saito sighed, feeling weary all of a sudden.

"Oh my," Akeno tittered mirthfully. "What an interesting and novel technique."

"Oh, Issei..." One hand covered Rias's face as she shook her head slowly.

"I'm really, really sorry, Koneko-chan, Asia-chan," Issei apologized frantically, though the way he ogled at their nude bodies diminished the earnestness of his words. "I, uh, didn't mean to do that to you. I didn't think that she would be able to dodge that, so, uh... Um... It's nice to see that you two are developing well?"

"... You're the worst," Koneko said, before punching Issei in the guts so hard that he went flying up into the air and crash landed down on the ground nearly a dozen feet away, groaning and writhing painfully.

"Hm... Truly a move fit for a devil," Xenovia said gravely and nodded to herself as a brief lull took place in the fight between her and Kiba.

"I'm really sorry," Kiba said, bowing apologetically. "Our Ise-kun is... well... a little perverted."

"So it seems," Xenovia said with an utterly serious expression.

Irina walked over to the fallen Issei and knelt down beside him, prodding him with a finger as if to ascertain whether or not he was still alive.

"Hey, Ise-kun," Irina said without rancor or hostility. "This is probably a punishment from God for using such an awful technique. You should take this as a warning and never use it again, okay?"

"Y... You have got to be kidding me," Issei moaned as he braced his arms beneath him and slowly rose to his feet. "Do you have any idea, any at all, how hard I had to work to develop Dress Break with the pitiful amount of demonic power I have? I spent every night at the training camp working on it in secret, as if my very life depended on it. I did it because I had a goal. No. Because I had a _dream._ I was going to use it on every one of the girls from Riser's harem!" Saito groaned as tears of regret and sorrow began streaming down Issei's face. "The two loli twins; the Bishop in the kimono; that really sexy Queen with big boobs; the tsundere little sister" - Saito narrowed his eyes and glared at Issei - "I was going to strip them all naked! But I couldn't! I didn't get to use it on any of them! I was given no opportunities! Do you realize how empty I felt after we won because of that? I didn't get to see a single one of them naked! That's why... That's why to dispel all of my regrets, I will focus all of my efforts into further developing this move, until one day I can strip girls with just a glance! And no one will stop me, the future Harem King! Not even God himself!"

During the entire speech, Irina had been progressively moving further and further away from Issei, as if he was some kind of obscene and terrifying beast. By the time Issei finished speaking, there was a distance of around two dozen feet between the two of them. Further away from them, Kiba and Xenovia were both marveling incredulously at Issei.

"My, my," Akeno said, looking as though she was about to burst out laughing. "Truly, Ise-kun's efforts do not lie. He really did train diligently."

"Be quiet, Akeno," Rias groaned as she buried her face in one hand, thoroughly embarrassed by Issei's words.

Saito could only sigh and shake his head, feeling the onset of a headache.

"Fighting with such impure motives," Irina said, looking deeply troubled. "It's no wonder you are a devil!"

"My reason for fighting is pure!" Issei declared loudly, eyes shining with determination. "Sexual desires is power! It's justice! Therefore, I am powerful! I am justice! Be prepared, Shidou Irina!"

With that, Issei rushed forward once more with an eager look on his face. Irina's eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed in concentration. She waited until Issei was nearly upon her, her blade down at her side. Then as his hands reached for her vulnerable breasts, she suddenly ducked, avoiding his thrust. Immediately afterward, she shot back up to her feet, holding her Excalibur out as she did so, its bladed edge facing upward and its length adjusted so that it split Issei's shirt and left only a long, shallow vertical cut along the center line of his body.

Ordinarily, that wound would not have been anywhere close to being deep enough to stop a real fight. It was a minor discomfort, at best, with the only real threat being a possibility of infection; something that was not of imminent concern in the midst of combat. However, the Excalibur was a holy sword. More, like Akeno had told him, it was one of _the _Holy Swords. Thus, Issei dropped to his knees, trembling weakly as he gingerly clutched at the wound, from which smoke was rising.

"Reset!" the Boosted Gear announced.

"Ugh..." Issei groaned in pain and fully collapsed to the ground.

"Ise-san!" Asia cried out with alarm as she quickly went over to his side. Emerald colored light glowed from her hands as she began healing Issei's injury with Twilight Healing, while Irina morphed her Excalibur back into a conspicuous armband that wrapped neatly around her left arm.

"You did surprise me with your movements," Irina said calmly. "But you're still too inexperienced, Ise-kun. You weren't able to properly judge the difference in strength between you and I. Two more, no, just one more Boost and you might been able to beat me. Not being able to realize that was the reason for your loss."

At the same time, the match between Xenovia and Kiba had already resumed and was nearing its end as well. All throughout their fight, every move Kiba had attempted, every sword he had created, had been easily crushed by Xenovia and her Excalibur. And when the frustration at the uselessness of his attacks, his anger and impatience, finally reached its boiling point, Kiba made the wrong move.

Taking three large steps backward, Kiba quickly put himself outside of Xenovia's easy range. Then a massive demonic sword materialized in his hands. It was easily twice as tall as Kiba and three times as wide. Its blade was toothed, like the edge of a saw, ready to rip apart anything that it touched. Its dark grey metallic surface gleamed in the sunlight as it stood ready in Kiba's hands to destroy his foe. Saito frowned as Kiba charged forward. The large and heavy weapon he had formed, while impressive, was clearly too much for Kiba's body to use. As he nearly dragged the unwieldy blade behind him, his speed was reduced to less than half of his usual speed.

With a mighty roar, Kiba brought the demonic sword down in a large arc.

"Hmph," Xenovia grunted as she met the demonic sword with her Excalibur.

The ringing clash of metal rent the air. Then a shattering noise.

"M-My sword!" Kiba cried out in disbelief as his fearsome demonic sword was reduced to tiny pieces, before suddenly grunting and doubling over from the pommel of Excalibur that Xenovia had smashed into his guts. The force of the blow was enough to bring Kiba to the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning helplessly in pain.

"Such foolishness," Xenovia said as she looked down on Kiba, who glared up at her from the ground hatefully. "The basis of your fighting style lies in your great speed and the ability to create a large variety of demonic swords, giving you a nearly unparalleled versatility in combat. But that last demonic sword you made was too large and cumbersome for you. It robbed you of your great speed in your inane desire to match power for power with my Excalibur. What purpose is there in playing to your weaknesses instead of your strengths?" Xenovia shook her head. "Truly a disappointing end."

"W-Wait," Kiba called out feebly as Xenovia began walking away from him, towards where her robe lay. "W-Where do you think you're going? This isn't over, yet."

Xenovia stooped down and picked up her robe and bandagelike cloth. With a single, fluid motion, the robe splayed outwards as Xenovia wrapped herself with it. "No, it is," Xenovia said as she began wrapping her Excalibur with the cloth. "You have lost, and neither Irina nor I are obligated to indulge you with a rematch. We have a mission to complete. That is our first and only priority."

Looking toward her comrade, Xenovia said, "Are you ready to leave, Irina?"

Irina nodded as she settled into her own robe. Xenovia glanced towards Rias with a serious gaze.

"One last thing, Rias Gremory," Xenovia said. "Consider this as advice in thanks for your cooperation in regards to our mission: Your servants are too weak, the user of the Boosted Gear especially. The Vanishing Dragon has already woken. If you and your servants remain as you are now when the Red and White Dragons finally clash, which you know they will, all of you will certainly die."

"I'll acknowledge that piece of advice," Rias said coolly. "And I hope that your mission is resolved quickly."

"Hmph." Xenovia turned and began walking away without another word.

"Bye bye, Ise-kun!" Irina said cheerfully, waving in farewell as she followed after Xenovia's heels.

When the two of them were gone, Kiba growled in frustration and anger and slammed a fist into the ground while on his hands and knees. Though Issei had already been healed, he still looked somewhat queasy and unsteady from the aftereffects of being sliced by the Holy Sword.

As callous it may seem, Saito found himself not concerned overmuch with the two's well being. With Asia here, whatever injury they had was not a problem at all. Instead, he found himself looking towards the direction in which Xenovia and Irina had disappeared.

Xenovia had said some interesting things that enamored Saito's attention, lingering in his thoughts.

"_What purpose is there in playing to your weaknesses instead of your strengths?"_

The words hit home with Saito, working like the trigger for an epiphany. What purpose was there in playing to his weaknesses, indeed. For Kiba, he had attempted to use a weapon far too ill-suited for him to effectively wield. For Saito, the same could be said about his intentions for learning to use magic. Given the level of his demonic energy, it would be far too inefficient. Who knew how long it would take for him to get to a level in which he could make practical use of magic in combat. A year? Two? Five? Perhaps a decade?

Truly, there was little point in him wasting so much time on that. After all, he is the Gandalfr, and the purpose of the Gandalfr was to use _weapons_ in order to defeat his foes – not magic. Why, then, should he use his valuable time in order to learn how to use magic when he could instead use it to improve and optimize his current fighting style and abilities?

Suddenly, words from long ago floated into Saito's thoughts. It was from the time of his first actual defeat in Halkeginia. His opponent had been Wardes, a skilled square-class wind mage. At the time, Saito had been too emotionally impacted by the loss to properly think about the condescending words Wardes had said during their spar. Yet, later on he had realized the veracity of the insufferable man's calm analysis.

What Wardes had told him at that time was that though he moved quickly – amazingly so – it did not matter in the least when his movements and combat sense were atrocious.

In other words, it was like putting a terrible driver at the driver's wheel of a high-end sports car. No matter how good the car itself was, if the driver was no good, they could not make the best use of it. Similarly, though the Gandalfr's runes gave Saito amazing abilities – a great increase in all physical traits and an intimate and complete innate understanding of all weaponry and their usage – it was rendered worthless if he himself could not make proper use of it.

Since that loss, Saito had accumulated much experience, and he knew that he had attained a certain level of strength. However, he had not yet reached the end of the Gandalfr's potential. He had not reached the end of _his_ potential. He needed to train so that he could become stronger and more skillful.

_That, and..._ Saito narrowed his eyes, his gaze focused upon the Excaliburs that had long since vanished into the distance.

**-Scene Break-**

Saito sighed as he pushed open the glass door at the bottom of the stairwell of a large five-story tall building, wiping off some of the sweat that thoroughly covered his face with his arm as he did so. When he exited, Saito immediately felt the warmth of the early Saturday afternoon sun beam down on him. Though streets were fairly crowded, it was not so much that Saito felt overwhelmed. Taking out a small notebook and pen from his pocket, Saito leaned against a railing at the edge of the sidewalk and flipped the notebook open and uncapped the pen by biting down on its cap and pulling.

"This place was no good either, huh? Least it wasn't a total loss," Saito muttered to himself as he made a few quick scribble marks on the paper before closing the notebook and replacing it back into his pocket. After capping the pen, it followed in after.

_Now then... Guess I'll go home for now to take a bath and eat,_ Saito mused.

However, just as Saito turned to head in the direction towards his home, he felt vibrations emit from his pocket. Stopping where he stood, Saito dug his hand into the pocket and fished out his cellphone. Seeing from the caller ID that it was Issei that was calling him, Saito frowned as he accepted the call.

"What's up, Hyoudou-san?" Saito asked.

"Hiraga-san," Issei said. "Listen, could you meet up with us soon? We need your help."

"Help?" Saito pursed his lips. "With what? Is there an enemy? And who's 'we?'"

"No," Issei replied. "We need your help finding those exorcists from yesterday. It's... Look, I'll explain everything once we find them."

"Find those two?" Saito arched an eyebrow. "In a huge city like this? Do you have any idea how diff-"

"Please show your mercy and charity to these lost lambs!" a familiar high-pitched voice called out from further down the street.

"On behalf of our holy Father in heaven, please show us your benevolence!" another familiar voice, lower pitched than the first, closer to a contralto compared to the former's soprano, said just as loudly.

Looking towards the direction of the voices, Saito marveled as he spied Xenovia and Irina begging for money at the passersby with a small box in hand. Behind them, leaning against the railing, was Xenovia's cloth wrapped Excalibur and a painting of some man with a halo.

"Hiraga-san?" Issei's voice came through the phone. "I think the connection broke for a moment or something. I didn't catch what you said just then."

Saito sighed, unable to believe the coincidence of it all. Seriously, what were the odds that he would just happen to find them like that right when he needed to? "Never mind. I found them."

"What? Really?" Issei said brightly. "Awesome! Tell us where you're at and we'll meet up with you as soon as possible."

"Sure," Saito said. After informing Issei of his location, Saito put his phone back into his pocket and began walking over to the two exorcists.

"Ugh... What kind of developed country is this place?" Xenovia said bitterly, slouching as she bowed her head depressingly. "Can't even spare enough money for us to buy some bread... This is why I don't like non-Christian countries. I bet the people here have never even heard of the story of the Good Samaritan."

"Don't say that, Xenovia," Irina sighed. "It can't be helped that we have to rely on the charity of these pagans. We did lose all of our money, after all."

"We wouldn't have lost all of our money if _someone_ hadn't wasted it all on that dumb fake painting," Xenovia snapped, angrily jabbing a finger at the portrait beside her sword.

"Don't call it a dumb fake painting!" Irina pouted. "It's a real and clear representation of a saint! That saleswoman at the art exhibition told me so!"

"Oh yeah?" Xenovia said. "Then which saint is it?"

"It's... Saint Peter... I think?" Irina said hesitantly as she scrutinized the portrait, tilting her head as if trying to make sense of the thing.

"Don't be ridiculous," Xenovia snorted. "Saint Peter doesn't look like that."

"Does too!" Irina argued back.

"This is why you Protestants are heretics," Xenovia said angrily. "You don't even know what Saint Peter really looks like."

"W-Well, you Catholics are still so stuck up when you guys believe in such primitive and outdated beliefs!" Irina retorted, her face flushed an angry red.

"What was that, you heretic?" Xenovia snapped.

"What? You want to fight, you heretic?" Irina narrowed her eyes and glared at her partner. "I'm not afraid. God is on my side."

"No, he's on my side!"

"No, mine!"

The two glared at each other as they pressed and rubbed foreheads like two angry bulls facing off against each other. Then their stomachs growled loudly. With an exhausted sigh, the two backed away from each other simultaneously. Saito stood back and watched the two with amusement, even as the other passersby only afforded the two curious looks. Wisely, the regular civilians chose to avoid being part of the strange argument between the two girls in abnormal clothes.

"How are we supposed to complete our mission like this, Xenovia?" Irina whined piteously. "We can't fight when our stomachs are so empty."

"You're right," Xenovia sighed. "Like this, there's no way we'll be able to recover the Excaliburs."

Irina leaned in closer to Xenovia. "Hey, what if we take some money from these heretics or one of their pagan shrines?" Irina whispered conspiratorially. "We could probably get a lot of money quickly that way."

"... You know if we get caught we'd get in a lot of trouble, right?" Xenovia replied in equally hushed tones.

"_If_ we get caught."

Shaking his head and chuckling, Saito finally stepped forward and spoke. "What the heck are you guys doing?"

The two exorcists fairly jumped in surprise as they instantly whirled to face Saito, eyes wide with surprise and suspicion.

"You," Xenovia said accusingly. "You're one of Rias Gremory's servants." She took a quick cursory glance around. "Were you following us? I thought we had an agreement that the devils would stay out of our business."

Saito snorted. "Hardly. I was here taking care of my own errands when I happened to come across two loud girls plotting in public to rob from innocent people."

Irina flushed a bright red while Xenovia took on a tinge of pink.

"We were not doing any such things!" Irina protested indignantly. But then, casting her gaze nervously away from Saito, she added, "But even if we did decide to steal from someone or one of the local shrines – which we were definitely not planning, by the way – God would forgive us so long as it was from a pagan or one of the pagan shrines. Definitely."

"Really?" Saito said with mock amazement. "Truly, what a kind and forgiving God you must believe in if he would overlook a crime of theft from two of his believers just because they stole from people of other religious beliefs. I had no idea that stealing was all right so long as you did it from people different than you. I mean, gee, anyone else would consider that a sin."

Irina's lower lip began trembling and her eyes turned watery. Then she broke into genuine tears, falling to her knees as she bawled loudly.

"You're right. It is a sin. Even though you're just a devil, you're right," Irina wailed. "But we're just so _hungry!_"

"There, there, Irina. We'll find a way to get some food," Xenovia said soothingly as she knelt by Irina's side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. From that position, the blue-haired girl glowered up at Saito. "Look at what you've done. I hope you feel proud of yourself."

Saito panicked as now he too began garnering much unwanted attention from the passersby, more than a few of them making quiet remarks blaming him for Irina's tears; how he ought to be ashamed of himself for it.

"All right, all right," Saito said hastily. "Look, I was going to go get some lunch anyway. If you guys want, I'll treat you two to a meal. So stop crying, please."

"Really?" Irina said, the tears stopping instantaneously as she jumped up to her feet and brought her brightened face extremely close to his own.

"You're not lying, right?" Xenovia said unashamedly as she brought her face too close to his as well.

"I'm not," Saito said, swaying his upper body backwards in an effort to maintain his personal space. Seeing the starving look in their eyes and the thin trail of drool that dribbled down from their open, hungry mouths suddenly made Saito doubt his decision. Had he been too rash in making the offer? Shaking his head, Saito quickly shrugged that thought off. How much could these two girls possibly eat? "Besides, Hyoudou-san wanted to meet with you guys."

"I'm okay with that!" Irina said joyfully. "Let's go quickly and get something to eat!"

Saito nodded. After sending Issei a text message through his phone of where to meet them, the three began walking towards a nearby restaurant that Saito was familiar with. As they walked, Saito noted the odd glances they were attracting from others. Given how strangely Xenovia and Irina were dressed and that they carried a weird painting and a large cloth-wrapped sword, it was to be expected.

"By the way," Saito said. "Out of curiosity, how exactly did you guys come to fight with Freed so close to the school?"

"We were attacked on our way to meet with Rias Gremory," Xenovia replied. "Freed was attempting to steal from us our Excaliburs. He is most likely working with the fallen angels. "

Saito frowned. "Maybe you two should try dressing more normally? You know, to blend in? You two really stand out when you're wearing those robes."

Xenovia shook her head. "Initially, that is exactly what we did. Even so, we were attacked by Freed almost immediately after we arrived in Japan and multiple times since then. Somehow, he and those who he is working for already knew we were here." Xenovia frowned. "That's worrying since we took every precaution to make certain that we would not be detected by the enemy. We even avoided using passports when we entered this country."

Saito pursed his lips for a moment as he considered Xenovia's words and their situation. Certainly, if their enemies knew their exact location, there was little purpose in trying to blend in. Rather, since Freed had the Excaliburs they were looking for, the best thing to do was in fact encourage more attacks, for doing so presented that much more opportunities to take back the holy swords.

"Wait a minute," Saito said, suddenly freezing in place as he turned to face Xenovia and Irina. "About what you just said..."

"Yes?" Xenovia cocked her head.

"If you guys didn't use passports..." Saito's eyes widened as he came to a realization. He hissed, "You guys are illegal immigrants!?"

"Shh!" Xenovia quickly said, clamping her hands over Saito's mouth as she looked around furtively. "Don't say that so loudly, you idiot! It's imperative that we don't get deported."

"Unbelievable," Saito said as he pulled Xenovia's hands off of him. Shaking his head with disbelief, he slowly began walking again. "You two... Just, wow."

"Don't worry too much about it," Irina said blithely.

"Anyway, I have a question for you as well," Xenovia said. "How is it that you know Freed?"

"Him?" Saito shrugged. "I met Freed when I was still human. I had been tricked by a fallen angel – Raynare was her name – into thinking that she was a real angel and working for her for a while. Since Freed was also her subordinate, we ended up working together on an 'exorcism,' though it was really just Freed murdering a man. Well, because Freed is who he was, we ended up fighting."

"You thought a fallen angel was an angel, a servant of God?" Xenovia stared at Saito suspiciously. "How could you possibly think that?"

"Hey," Saito said defensively. "Up until that point, I thought things like angels and devils were just myths. She was the first supernatural being in the entire world that I've ever met. How was I supposed to know what a real angel looks like?"

"Hm... I suppose that's true," Xenovia allowed grudgingly. "How did you end up becoming a devil?"

"To keep a long story short," Saito said, "I realized that Raynare wasn't an actual angel, so I turned against her. I was nearly killed, fell unconscious, and Rias reincarnated me like that."

"I see. In other words, you did not choose to become a devil," Xenovia said, pity clear in her voice. "Even if you were a pagan, I am sorry that such a thing happened to you."

"Eh. I'm happy just to be alive," Saito said as they arrived at the restaurant. Saito held the door open for the two exorcists as they entered before following them in. "Being a devil in and of itself doesn't bother me too much."

"Oh really?" Xenovia said coolly as the three took a seat in a large booth.

A waitress promptly came to where the three were sitting and delivered to them their menus and a glass of water for each of them. "Would you like anything besides water to drink?" she asked in a friendly tone.

"I'll take some coca-cola," Saito said.

"I'm okay with just water," Irina said.

"As am I," Xenovia said. "But could we go ahead and order our food right now?"

"Of course," the waitress said as she pulled out a pen and notepad from her apron's pocket, then looked at the two girls expectantly. "Whenever you're ready."

"I'll take the curry rice, kimchi fried rice, omurice, tempura udon, eel on rice, yakitori, a large bowl of miso soup, spicy pork on rice, and a salad," Irina listed off rapidly, the waitress struggling to keep up as she wrote furiously on the notepad, while Saito's eyes widened at the sheer amount Irina had ordered. "Oh, and a sundae. For dessert."

"As for me," Xenovia said, taking in a breath. Saito groaned internally. "I'll take two helpings of lasagna, spaghetti with extra meatballs, a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, mashed potatoes with beef gravy, fried chicken, teriyaki chicken, and I'll go ahead and try out this 'bulgogi' and teriyaki steak with extra white rice. As for dessert, I'll take a cake and a chocolate milkshake."

"Um... All right, then," the waitress said, completely stunned by the sheer magnitude of their appetite. She turned to Saito and gave him a deeply commiserating look. "And what would you like to order, sir?"

Saito swallowed his saliva. "I... I think that will be all," he said with a shaky voice.

"Huh? You're not going to order anything?" Irina cocked her head. "Aren't you hungry, though?"

"I... uh... I'll be all right," Saito said.

"Then, your orders will be out... soon," the waitress said. "If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."

As the waitress left and the two exorcists began talking happily between themselves, Saito slowly withdrew his wallet with a shaky hand and opened it. He looked inside of it for only a moment before licking his lips nervously. Then he closed the wallet and took out his phone. With trembling fingers, he sent a text to Issei.

"_Make sure to bring a lot of money, too."_

**-Scene Break-**

"So, what is the reason that you wished to meet with us?" Xenovia asked once Issei, along with Koneko, Kiba, and Saji, arrived and sat down in the booth she, Saito, and Irina were sitting in.

"Before that," Issei said warily as he looked at the table before them. It was completely covered with the empty plates and bowls that served as the remnants of the two exorcists' gargantuan meal. "How in the world did you three eat this much?"

"I didn't eat anything," Saito corrected.

Issei gawked at Saito. "You mean that it was just these two?"

Saito nodded solemnly. When Issei turned incredulous gaze at Irina and Xenovia, the brown-haired exorcist scowled.

"It's rude to make fun of how much a lady eats, Ise-kun," Irina scolded.

"You girls ate enough to feed over a dozen fully grown men!" Issei declared, his voice still strongly colored with disbelief. "How much is this even going to cost?"

"I did say bring a lot of money, right?" Saito muttered as an aside.

"If you wished to meet with us only to remark about our eating habits, I think Irina and I will just excuse ourselves now," Xenovia said coolly. "So I ask again: what is it that you wished to speak to us about?"

"Right," Issei said, nodding as his expression turned serious. "To keep it short, we want to help you in destroying one of the Excaliburs."

Silence pervaded the table. All those there stared at Issei with an absolute shock with widened eyes. For nearly half a minute, no one spoke or even moved. Finally, Xenovia broke the stillness.

"... I suppose that would be acceptable," she said.

"Xenovia!" Irina blurted out, staring at her partner. "What are you saying? We can't accept help from a bunch of devils!"

"Ordinarily that would be true," Xenovia said calmly. "But you and I both know how low our chances of survival, much less success, is for this mission. I would prefer to live through this mission and return home safely."

"Coward!" Irina said angrily. "Are you that afraid of dying? Didn't we accept this mission with the resolve to put our lives on the line?"

"I am not afraid of dying," Xenovia retorted. "If it is necessary for the completion of the mission, I would throw away my life willingly. But there's no harm in doing whatever it takes in order to increase our chances of both success and survival by even a few percent, even if it involves temporarily allying with the devils. Besides, the successful completion of this mission is far more important than our reservations about working with devils."

"Well... I don't know..." Irina said reluctantly.

"Besides, isn't he your childhood friend?" Xenovia said, pointing a finger at Issei. "You were the one who was talking so excitedly on our way here about meeting him again. You can trust him. Probably."

"Wait, I'm your what?" Issei blinked at Irina.

Irina scowled at the Pawn. "You really don't remember me, Shidou Irina, Ise-kun?"

"I don't think... Wait..." Issei furrowed his brow and brought his hand to his lips in a gesture of deep thought. "Shidou... Shidou... Ah! You're Shidou-kun who used to live next door!" Issei declared, pointing an accusatory finger at Irina. He cocked his head. "But wait, weren't you a boy?"

"Hmph," Irina pouted. "It's true that I tended to dress and act boyish a lot back then, but I am definitely a girl."

"Sorry," Issei grinned easily. "Still, it's been a long time. Even though I knew you were a Christian, I never would have thought you would become an exorcist."

"Same," Irina said, smiling lightly back at Issei. "I never thought you would have become a devil."

"Ahaha," Issei laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "There were various circumstances that led to that. Are your parents all right?"

"They're living well in Europe," Irina answered. "My dad is staying busy training the newest generation of exorcists for the Church."

"Uncle is?" Issei said, raising both eyebrows. "That sounds... scary, actually. Wasn't he a nationally ranked kendoist?"

"Yup!" Irina replied cheerfully. "He and Sister Griselda" - Xenovia shuddered involuntarily - "taught me everything I know."

"Huh. Well, tell him and auntie that I said hi the next time you see them, will you?" Issei asked.

"Sure," Irina said. "Though I think they'll be kinda mad that you became a devil."

"As long as they don't come and try to kill me," Issei said jokingly.

"Ahem," Xenovia cleared her throat politely, interrupting the friendly banter between the childhood friends. "Going back on topic, do you agree it's okay to work with them, Irina?"

"Well... All right," Irina said reluctantly. "Even if he is a devil now, I'll trust Ise-kun."

"Excellent," Issei smiled. "Let's exchange numbers so we can stay in contact with each other for now."

"Before that," Xenovia said, turning to look intently at Kiba, who was glaring hatefully at the two exorcists. "You. Do you still hold a grudge against the Church for the Holy Sword Project?"

"Obviously," Kiba said in a icy, unforgiving tone.

"What is this 'Holy Sword Project?'" Saito asked. This was not the first time the term had popped up in conversation before, so Saito found himself very curious about it.

"It was a project designed to investigate the possibilities of artificially granting people the ability to use the Holy Swords," Xenovia explained. "It was thanks to the results of that research that Irina and I are able to use our Excaliburs."

Kiba's lips curled into a cold sneer. "It was human experimentation, Hiraga-kun. Its test subjects were robbed of even the most basic human rights and treated as tools, forced to undergo inhuman tests and trials day after day. Then when the project failed, the test subjects were summarily disposed of."

Saito narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kiba. "When you say disposed of..."

"They were gassed and murdered," Kiba clarified immediately.

Saito sucked in a sharp breath as he visibly tensed and looked towards the two exorcists, both of whom remained impressively impassive underneath the weight of the revelation.

"Ah. Is that how it is?" Saito said icily. Sarcastically, he added, "How shocking."

"Don't say that," Xenovia sighed. "Even the Church acknowledges that that is one of our lowest and most shameful points in history. But it wasn't completely our fault. The original experiment's design was supposed to be difficult, yes, but still humane. It was the head researcher that arbitrarily changed how the experiment was supposed to have been and then falsified or hid from the higher ups the reports the methods he was using. Once the Church learned of the truth, that man was immediately excommunicated, although it was too late for the experiment's subjects by that time. From what I last heard, he's working with the fallen angels now."

"Who is he?" Kiba demanded. "What is his name?"

"Valper Galilei," Xenovia answered promptly.

"Valper Galilei," Kiba repeated in a growl, letting the name roll off of his tongue. "So that's the name of the man that I must kill."

Xenovia nodded. "Yes."

Kiba stared at Xenovia, less hostilely than before, but still with a quietly smoldering hate.

"Do not think that I'll forgive the Church despite that," Kiba said. "Nor that I will cease my quest to destroy the Excaliburs."

"In the end, so long as you don't obstruct us from our mission, I couldn't care less what you think or who you choose to forgive," Xenovia replied calmly. "Though if you seek to destroy the Excaliburs in the future, we will no doubt face each other on the battlefield someday." Xenovia smiled slightly. "I'll look forward to it." She looked evenly towards Issei. "Now then, here is the number you can use to contact us."

**-Scene Break-**

"So," Saito said as he leaned back against the leathery back of the booth seat he was in. With Xenovia and Irina gone, only devils remained in the restaurant booth now. "Destroying the Excaliburs, eh? That's what this was all about?"

From across the table, Saji almost appeared as though he was in suspended animation. Save for his left eye twitching, he remained absolutely still as if he was in shock. Koneko quietly sipped at her ice cream soda beside Saji.

"Ise-kun," Kiba said slowly, looking at the Pawn with a confused look. "I don't understand. What is the meaning of all of this? Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Issei said with a lopsided grin, rolling his eyes. "Even though you're just a damn handsome, we're still comrades. And I owe you for helping me before with a lot of stuff, like with rescuing Asia. So now I want to help you." Issei's expression suddenly turned dark. "Besides, I think that if we didn't do this, you would do something too reckless by yourself."

Kiba smiled bitterly. "Was I that obvious?"

"A little," Issei nodded. "I mean, if you just up and left, it would be bad for all of us, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose so," Kiba acknowledged ruefully.

"... Yuuto-senpai," Koneko said quietly. "Please don't try to leave us behind and try to do everything by yourself. I would be lonely."

Kiba sighed and reached across the table to pat Koneko lightly on the head. She closed her eyes and let out a pleased, purring sound.

"If Koneko-chan tells me that, then I suppose have no choice but to listen," Kiba said, his smile now genuine.

"So, uh, I hate to break up the mood," Saji said, having finally recovered his composure. "But why exactly am I here again? I mean, I don't really have anything to do with this in the first place. Actually, I still don't even really get what's going on. Why do we have to destroy an Excalibur in the first place? Do you know how much trouble we'd get in for even attempting to do such a thing?"

Kiba sighed again. "I suppose this would be a good time to talk a bit about the past," he said a little sadly. "You see, several years ago, there was a secret experiment called the Holy Sword Project enacted by the Church in order to create warriors who would be able to use the Excaliburs. The hope was that they would be able to artificially create warriors who could wield the Holy Swords instead of wasting time and resources finding a natural born wielder. Thus, they gathered up as many young boys and girls who possessed talent with the sword in order to use as test subjects. I was one of them."

Kiba looked off wistfully towards the window, gazing even further beyond it, towards some ever-distant thing. "Back then, even though our human rights were stripped away and we were forced to undergo all sorts of cruel and harsh trials, we endured it because of two things: the belief that the researchers force fed us about how we were people chosen by God and that we would become special existences once the project succeeded, and the camaraderie we forged with one another during those hard times."

Kiba grabbed a cup of water before him and drank deeply, tilting his head back as he did so. When he emptied it only a few seconds later, he put the empty glass cup down and resumed his story.

"But despite everything, not a single one of us became able to use a holy sword," Kiba said. "Therefore, we were deemed as failures and were disposed of. They rounded us up in an airtight shelter, telling us that it was for the next trial, when they suddenly began flooding the room with poison gas. Had it not been for my friends and comrades, I would have died. But even as they choked on the gas and coughed up blood, dying, they used all the remaining power they had in order force open a path in order to let me escape. They all sacrificed themselves for me." Here Kiba's eyes turned slightly misty as he recalled what was no doubt some of his most painful memories. "Around that time was when I met Buchou. She found me while I was slowly dying in the snow from the poison that had already seeped into my veins, and she saved me by turning me into her Knight. However, while I am eternally grateful to her for saving me, it is precisely because I am still alive that I must take revenge for my dead comrades. I must kill Valper Galilei and destroy the Excaliburs, the very things that they were trying to force us to be able to use. Only through that way can I give meaning to their sacrifice."

Saito leaned his mouth against his clenched hand, pensive as he carefully thought over Kiba's story. The truth was that before Kiba had begun telling his past, Saito had not been entirely sure of what to expect. But this... This was an injustice on a level more than enough to fill Saito with a deep anger, and on a very personal level, even if he himself was unaffected by and unrelated to it. It was then that he decided that Saito decided that whatever it took, he would do everything in his power to support Kiba in taking his vengeance. He had a damn good reason to desire it.

"Uuuh..." Saji moaned as tears ran down his face. "Dammit. I thought you were nothing but a damn handsome, but to think that you had to go through something so painful and sad. I can't believe how unfair the world is. That's it. Even though this is going to get me in so much trouble with Kaichou, I don't care! It's not right that you and your dead comrades had to go through all of that, so I'm going to help you guys out with all of my power!"

Saito smiled at Saji, feeling the respect he held for the Sitri Pawn rise to a new level.

"And," Saji continued, a little more shyly. "Since you told us your story, I'll tell you guys mine. The truth is, my dream is to make Kaichou pregnant and then marry her."

The feeling of genuine respect towards the Sitri Pawn that had been building up within Saito came crashing down.

"I know that it's going to be really hard for someone like me to get Kaichou pregnant, but I swear that I'll never give up!" Saji declared firmly. "Definitely! Without fail, I will definitely succeed one day!"

_Goddammit. God-fucking-dammit,_ Saito thought to himself as he none-too-gently slammed his forehead down on the table. Kiba let out uncomfortably embarrassed laughter, while Koneko simply said "The worst." Saji was the same, it seemed. He was exactly the same as Issei. The perverted Pawn in question was also letting a fresh stream of glistening tears roll down his cheeks.

"That's a magnificent dream, Saji!" Issei said as though he had heard words promising of a flawless utopia; a paradise that existed only in dreams. "Listen. My dream is to not just grope Buchou's boobs, but also to suck on them!"

"S-Such a thing!" Saji marveled. "Do you realize how hard it will be to fulfill that dream, Hyoudou?"

"It can be done!" Issei proclaimed. "I believe it! Even if it's a faraway dream, even if it will take years to achieve it, it's still possible! No. If it's the two of us, together, I know we can accomplish our dreams, Saji, my comrade!"

"Issei, my friend!" Saji wept. "The truth is that I was so moved at how boldly you declared your claim over Rias-senpai's virginity in the Rating Game. You don't know how much courage and hope for the future that gave me, even though I thought you were nothing but an idiot at the time. I wasn't going to say this, but I respect you more than almost any other person in the world for that."

The two Pawns clasped hands in an emotionally charged, brotherly bonding moment. Saito rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly; a reaction that felt to Saito as though it was forced due to the scene playing out before him.

"I'm going to go home now," Saito said as he stood up to leave. "How about we meet up later in order to make a plan?"

"That sounds good," Kiba agreed. "And I, uh, think that I'll be leaving for now too. I'm certain Ise-kun and Saji-san have much to talk about."

"... Perverts," Koneko muttered, shooting a disgusted glare at the two comrades of debauchery.

Quietly, the three left the restaurant and parted as Issei and Saji continued to bond over their shared interests.

**-Scene Break-**

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Saito called out as he opened the door to his house and walked in, leaving his sneakers at the entrance. However, when his parents did not respond, Saito frowned slightly. "Mom? Dad?"

This was a little unusual, Saito thought. Today was the day that both of his parents had the day off from work. Also, as far as Saito was aware of, neither of them had any plans to leave home for the day. Furthermore, both of his parents' cars were still parked outside of the house, indicating that they should be present in the building somewhere.

Saito shrugged. Perhaps something had come up and they had gone some place that was close enough that it did not necessitate the need to drive. That was probably it.

With Derflinger inside its cotton case and strapped on Saito's back, Saito walked into the kitchen, intending to grab a cold juice to drink from the refrigerator before taking a bath. Within the house, the kitchen, as well as the dining room that led into it, was placed in such a position that at this time of the day, very little sunlight permeated the room. Thus, compared to the rest of the building, the kitchen was especially dark.

Fortunately, Saito was a devil. As such, he had absolutely perfect night vision that was superior to every other mundane being in the world. Due to that, Saito immediately saw something incredibly eerie. On opposite sides of the dining room table, Saito's parents were sitting perfectly still in their seats, their backs ramrod straight, staring straight ahead at each other – _past _each other –with a vapid, dead gaze.

"Mom?" Saito said warily as he slowly approached the table. "Dad? Are you two all right?"

"They can't hear you."

Saito's head immediately snapped towards the new voice. His eyes widened with shock and he sucked in a breath as a beautiful black-haired woman dressed in an extremely revealing black lingerie-style outfit stepped into the room from the kitchen, sashaying serenely to the table on the opposite end of Saito; arm's reach of his parents.

"Raynare," Saito hissed as one hand immediately flew towards Derflinger.

"Ah, ah. Let's be civil," Raynare said lightly as a small dagger of light formed in the fallen angel's hands; its brilliantly shining edge skirting far too close to the flesh of Saito's mother's throat. Saito's hands froze where they were, halfway towards reaching his sword. Slowly, he lowered them back down to his sides. Seeing this, Raynare smiled winningly. "Now, if you would kindly throw down your weapon, I believe that would be best for both of us."

Saito growled, low and guttural, and glared at Raynare. He carefully slung off the cotton case on his back and tossed it to the side, outside of his reach. A heavy, muffled sound was produced by the weight of the sword landing on the wooden flooring with a thud. A few seconds after that, the dagger of light dissipated from Raynare's hand.

"What have you done with my parents, Raynare?" Saito snarled.

"Relax," Raynare said lightly. "They're fine. I've temporarily put them into a comatose state, but it will cause them no harm."

"So what the hell do you want, then?" Saito spat out venomously. "Are you here for revenge?"

"Revenge?" Raynare laughed with amusement. "Yes, I suppose you could call this revenge."

Gracefully, Raynare approached Saito, and though he felt his body tense, he made no move to attack or flee. For even though he was now a devil, without a weapon in hand, Saito was still hopelessly outmatched in combat by the fallen angel before him. In other words, he was at her mercy.

Raynare stopped in front of Saito. In a slow, fluid manner, her hands moved towards Saito's neck, causing him to unconsciously gulp as he warily eyed the coming hands gloved with black leather. Finger by finger, the fallen angel's hands wrapped themselves around Saito's throat. But although Raynare's grip was firm and like iron, she did not squeeze tightly, allowing him to still breathe. This left Saito with an uncomfortable feeling that left him acutely aware of the blood pumping through his carotid arteries and the building pressure in his head.

Unable to resist in any meaningful way, Saito instead shot daggers at Raynare with his hate-filled glare, though this only caused Raynare to smile more eagerly. Her hands moved. The left hand slid down to his shoulder, while the right moved up to Saito's chin, holding it gently between her fingers.

Then Raynare leaned in and kissed Saito.

Saito's eyes widened as the fallen angel's tongue invaded his mouth. Her long black hair cascaded down like a curtain to enshroud both of their faces from the outside. At the same time, she suddenly pushed him flat on his back onto the table with an irresistible strength and pinned his wrists against the table on either side of his head as the smooth white flesh of her bare thigh ground up between his legs.

At that moment, Saito felt a paradoxical flood of emotions. To be sure, he was terrifically disgusted by Raynare's sudden advances. She was, after all, an enemy he swore to kill. She was someone who had lied to him, manipulated him, and murdered an innocent girl for her own nefarious purposes. On the other hand, she was undoubtedly attractive to the extreme. Thus, despite the disgust and hate he felt, Saito could not help but be aroused by the way she pressed and rubbed her body against his, and how her tongue aggressively, yet lovingly, swirled around within his mouth. For though his mind refused, his body still reacted. And there, underneath all of that, Saito also felt deeply and utterly ashamed for feeling so aroused.

Here before him was his enemy doing something only lovers were meant to do, and he was powerless to stop her. Worse still, unconscious though they may be, it did not change the fact that they were doing it quite literally in front of his parents.

Saito struggled feebly from beneath Raynare's hold, but it was futile. In response, Raynare tightened her grip and attacked him with her tongue even more aggressively.

Finally, after several long minutes, Raynare parted lips with Saito, a thin trail of saliva connecting their mouths together.

"Saito," Raynare said, still pinning Saito beneath her. "Come with me. Abandon the other devils and become my lover."

Saito gawked incredulously at the woman looming above him. "You're fucking joking, aren't you?" Saito demanded. "After everything you did, you seriously think I could possibly love you? Did you forget that I swore I would kill you if we ever met again?"

Raynare only laughed at that. "You won't kill me. Although," Raynare licked her lips with excitement and lust, "it might also be fun having you resist so that I can rip apart your preconceptions. Yes, in fact, I think I'd prefer that."

"Preconceptions?" Saito said warily. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you think I'm talking about?" Raynare teased as she pressed her leg further up against Saito's groin again, causing him to flush ashamedly at his body's reaction that went contrary to his own will.

"Is this what you meant?" Saito sneered, forcing himself to ignore the provocation. "If you think this means I love you, you're delusional, you goddamn whore."

"It's cute how you resort to harsh words when you understand how powerless you are right now," Raynare giggled. "But no. That is not what I meant."

"Pray tell then," Saito said. "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you," Raynare said. "You asked how I think that you could ever love me. Really, your naïve notions of love is truly adorable. My answer is a question of my own: what makes you think I can't _make_ you love me?"

"You're going to use some kind of mind control spell on me?" Saito demanded angrily.

"As if I need to resort to something so dull and crass," Raynare said, shrugging flippantly. "No, Saito. What I'll do is take you away and isolate you from every other living being, except for myself. I will feed you only food that even starving stray dogs would turn away from. I will subject you without pause to torture so cruel and painful that not even in your wildest and darkest imagination could you have ever thought of them. There will not be a single day in which your tears do not flow from the agony I inflict upon you. You will hate me at first, and your mind will be filled with thoughts of escape and revenge. But you will never escape; you will never kill me. I will tear off your hands and feet in order to make sure of that. And then when you finally realize that there is nothing you can do, you will fear me. You will cower at the mere sound of my footsteps, afraid of what torment I will put you through.

"That is when you will learn to seek my favor, to win it in any way possible. For it is only through pleasing and serving me that you will find reprieve from your suffering. Thus, finding new ways to do just that will dominate your thoughts. At first you will do it purely to find some temporary relief from the pain. But that will eventually control you until it becomes your only purpose in life. Willingly, you will enslave your heart and mind, body and soul, to me. That is when your pride, dignity, and self-respect will all be torn away and you will become a sniveling worm that seeks to serve me like a goddess, taking pleasure even in licking the dirt and filth off of my boots." Raynare chuckled. "In other words, you will come to love me completely and utterly, in the fullest sense of the word. It will be a disgusting, revolting love, twisted and corrupted beyond words, and it will suit the two of us wonderfully."

A cold shiver ran down Saito's spine and he unconsciously swallowed saliva – a reaction that, as close as they were, did not go unnoticed by Raynare.

"Did I scare you, Saito?" Raynare purred, bringing her mouth close to Saito's ear so that she could whisper into it. Carefully, she nibbled on his ear. "Do you know what the best part is? You are a devil; a species that can live up to at least ten thousand years. No matter how strong your mind and will might be, you cannot resist hundreds, thousands of years of never ending torment. And I am patient. However long it takes, I will break you and make you love me."

"Yeah? And what of Azazel?" Saito asked, forcing his voice to project a tone of bravado, though the slight warbling as he spoke gave it away. "Weren't you going to hand me over to him before?"

Raynare lifted her upper body off of Saito and her face suddenly turned ugly with anger as she shot a venomous glare to the side.

"Azazel, that bastard," Raynare spat, suddenly tightening her grip on Saito's wrists. His bones creaked underneath her strength. "After everything I had done for him, he dared to spurn me, rejecting all of my efforts." Raynare's black wings suddenly unfurled from her back. No, not wings. _Wing._ On one side, there was now only a torn stub of a wing left on her back. "Even though I devoted my very being to him, he punished me by ripping off one of my wings. That snake. One day, I will see him die."

"So basically, I'm your rebound guy," Saito commented, wincing as he tried to resist having his wrists broken. "Has anyone ever mentioned that you are a crazy fucking bitch?"

Raynare promptly slapped Saito across the cheek with such strength that his head rocked to the side, reeling, the stinging pain blinding. Immediately afterward, Raynare soothingly caressed the cheek she had hit.

"I'm sorry, Saito," Raynare said soothingly as she relaxed her grip on Saito's other wrist. "I didn't mean to hurt you like that. It was a reflex."

"Hence the 'crazy' in 'crazy fucking bitch,'" Saito gasped, his cheek feeling entirely numb with pain.

Raynare smiled. "Now then, although I would like to stay in this position a little longer before taking you with me, I do have a job for you. I'm sure you understand what it will mean if you refuse."

Saito's eyes drifted in the direction of his parents for a moment, before returning to glower at Raynare.

"What do you want?" Saito said.

"You recently made a temporary alliance with those two Excalibur wielders from the Church," Raynare stated. "This is good. It will make it easier for you to betray them. Go and kill them, then retrieve their Excaliburs and give them to me."

"How did you know that we've allied?"

Raynare chuckled. "How do I know? Isn't it obvious?" The fallen angel's face came close to Saito's, her violet colored eyes staring penetratingly into him as her face hovered mere inches above his own. "It's because I am always watching you."

"... I'll kill you for this one day," Saito growled angrily.

A feral grin was Raynare's response to Saito's impotent threat. "Oh yes," she purred. "I am going to have a lot of fun breaking you."

Briefly, Raynare placed her lips on top of Saito's and kissed him. Then she stood up and released Saito, who rubbed his wrists painfully. Raynare quickly moved back to Saito's parent's side and placed a hand on both of their shoulders.

"I'll be taking your parents with me to ensure your continued loyalty and silence, Saito," Raynare said. "Do not fear, though. So long as you do as I say, no harm will befall them."

"Fine," Saito said. "And where should I go to meet you after I retrieve the Excaliburs?"

"Didn't you hear me when I said I am always watching you?" Raynare smirked. "When you've completed your task, I will know, and I will come to you."

Space distorted around Raynare and Saito's parents. A moment later, as if sucked into another dimension, all three of them disappeared, leaving Saito alone in a dark and quiet house. Very slowly, Saito walked over to Derflinger and picked it up. Dropping the sword on the table, Saito leaned against a chair with one hand. Then suddenly, Saito picked up the wooden piece of furniture and hurled it against the wall with a furious roar. The chair shattered, its pieces clattering to the floor and leaving a sizable dent in the wall.

_Dammit!_ Saito thought angrily. Why hadn't he thought of this possibility? What in the world had possessed him into thinking that his parents would somehow be safe from attack from the supernatural purely because they themselves had no relation to it? Why didn't he take precautionary measures in order to ensure their safety? Saito cursed himself for his grave oversight.

Suddenly, Saito's cellphone vibrated within his pocket. Fishing it out, Saito accepted the call without looking to see who it was and quickly spat out, "What."

"It's me, Hiraga-san," Issei said blithely. "Can you meet up with us again? I think I have a pretty good plan of how to find Freed."

Saito closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath. It wouldn't do, after all, to let the others know something was wrong by sounding so obviously enraged. If they became suspicious that something happened to him, it would become that much harder for him to move around.

"Sorry, Hyoudou-san," Saito said, forcing his voice to come out as calm and conversational through gritted teeth. "Something important has come up. I'm afraid I won't be able to help you guys out."

"What?" Issei said disbelievingly. "What's so important that you have to bail out like this?"

"It's... Sorry, I got to go," Saito said, ending the call and turning off the phone before Issei could say another word.

Right now he had no time for such things like helping Kiba with Issei and the others. He had something far more important to do. He needed to ensure his own family's safety first.

No matter what it takes.


End file.
